FOREWORD
The conflict in Syria continues to produce the gravest displacement crisis in the world today; generating dramatic levels of suffering, and shattering the lives of many Syrian people - along with their hopes and dreams. The social fabric of the country has drastically weakened, as have levels of trust among its people. Sadly, the impact of the conflict has rolled back hard-won development gains and compromised prospects for stability, peace and prosperity for future generations in the country and across the region. Despite unparalleled generosity demonstrated by host countries and donors at large, the resources of many Syrian refugee families are long exhausted.
A crisis of such proportions, complexity, and duration calls for a response of an unprecedented scale and nature. The Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan (3RP), now entering its third year, combines a humanitarian response focused on alleviating the suffering of the most vulnerable, addressing basic needs and preventing large numbers of refugees from falling deeper into poverty, with longer term interventions bolstering the resilience of refugee and host communities, while also capacitating national systems. The 3RP has mobilized the combined knowledge, efforts and resources of five states, more than 200 partner agencies, and an increasing number of donors.
Partners are not only responding to the most critical needs on a daily basis, but are also engaged in a dynamic process of constant adaptation, bringing the different facets of assistance to Syrian refugees and host communities into an increasingly coherent and effective framework linking humanitarian and resilience-building actions.
Significant progress has been achieved in this direction over the past two years. Governments have reaffirmed their leadership of the response, managing coordination and planning as nationally-owned processes. Humanitarian and development institutional and financing silos are beginning to break down with the emergence of innovative multi-year financing mechanisms. The private sector is progressively bringing its experience and resources to bear on the response. And not least, 3RP stakeholders are developing innovative best practices in both coordination and programming, ranging from biometric registration and cash programming to resilience-based approaches.
The impact of the 3RP has also been felt far beyond the borders of the region. Since the launch of the Dead Sea Resilience Agenda at the Resilience Development Forum in November 2015, which called for changes in the way the Syria crisis is dealt with, the global policy and aid environment has evolved rapidly, stimulated by several important events, including the “Supporting Syria and the Region Conference” in London in February 2016, the High Level Meeting on global responsibility sharing through pathways for admission of Syrian refugees in Geneva in March 2016, the World Humanitarian Summit (WHS) in Istanbul in May 2016, and the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants held in New York in September 2016. The London Conference, in particular, has stimulated a broad range of measures to address jobs, education, host community support and other elements - including through innovative instruments such as the Jordan Compact, which bundles trade, humanitarian aid and development support.
While peace in Syria remains the only solution to this protracted crisis, the 3RP response model in the neighbouring countries aims to preserve human capital and critical assets within the displaced Syrian population to foster stability and restore hope. This promise, however, can only be translated into reality through renewed international solidarity with Syrian people and the neighbouring countries. This 3RP offers a platform for all partners to contribute to this vital endeavour.
Helen Clark
Administrator of the United Nations
Development Programme and United
Nations Development Group Chairperson
Filippo Grandi
United Nations High Commissioner
for Refugees