Voices for Displaced Syrians: COVID-19 Response Plan

Voices for Displaced Syrians

VDSF

Voices for

Displaced Syrians

أصوات لأجل المهجرين السوريين

2) Procure prevention and protection equipment for humanitarian workers to enable them to

provide services safely and in accordance to agreed health standards,

3) Support international and regional advocacy campaigns to highlight the effects of the epidemic

on refugee hosting countries and the need for global solidarity with the displaced because they

are the most vulnerable.

4) Provide flexibility in current funding available to LNGOs by agreeing to reallocate funds from

projects that were halted by the epidemic to new projects that serve the response to COVID-19

e.g. reallocate money for schools' running costs to providing distance education, or reallocate

money from running costs of protection centers to awareness raising on dangers of the epidemic

and prevention practices..

Third: For a better response to the COVID-19 crisis in neighboring countries:

We suggest to arrange the response plans to consider two phases:

Phase one: Urging refugee communities to adhere to the measures of social distancing and prevention:

LNGOs can play a pivotal role at this stage if they receive appropriate support and funding.

First and foremost, we recommend that the basic needs for the Syrian refugees be covered, the most

important of which are basic living expenses and the payment of rents for homes and lands to the camps.

In parallel, awareness-raising and educational campaigns targeting refugee communities should be

undertaken, which must be accompanied by the distribution of personal hygiene kits and household

disinfection materials, as well as general protective tools such as face mask.

Educating refugees about the necessity of social distancing and asking them to stay at home while they

are unable to pay their rent or provide food for their families will be harmful. Likewise, while securing the

necessary livelihoods, educational and awareness programs which are not accompanied by providing in-

kind materials for prevention, and providing clean water and effective sanitation, will not achieve the

desired results.

In the same phase, it is necessary to directly address the consequences of lock down and curfew, the most

important of which are:

Gender-based violence: Domestic violence at the family level is a chronic issue and expected to

worsen. This challenge affects host communities and refugees alike and therefore, protection

programs and psychosocial support services must not be suspended.

Child protection: The prolonged lock down and curfew often lead to affect caregivers' ability to cope

positively and respond to children needs. As a result, great risks arise that threaten the protection and

welfare of children. The most important of which are domestic violence, child labor, family separation

and dropping out of schools.

Dropout from education: While Education Ministries work to provide distance education services to

citizens, refugee communities fail to receive these services sufficiently. The current situation might be

an opportunity to develop distance education programs for refugees at the beginning of the next

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