With no end in sight, Syria’s complicated and devastating civil war has already displaced more than 11 million people — many of whom have taken refuge in neighboring countries, but with many more remaining inside the country’s borders. Even before the spotlight shone on Europe’s refugee arrivals, about 4 million Syrians fleeing persecution and violence had already made their way to nearby Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt.
While many refugees still live in camps, the hope and the goal is for full integration into their host countries. However, these nations — many of which already face their own development challenges — have been the largest providers of resources for the response, and the influx of refugees has exacerbated previous vulnerabilities, overstretching limited capacities and basic services, such as health, education, housing, and water and sanitation.
While European refugee policy and humanitarian operations are now under a magnifying glass, the international community has long been providing humanitarian aid for Syrians caught in the middle of the civil war. This year, however, the United Nations also rolled out the Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan — or 3RP — a funding appeal which, in addition to addressing humanitarian needs of refugees, also aims to provide the resources needed to build the resilience and capacity of impacted neighboring host countries in the region.