Strengthening Capacity to Coordinate Responses to Gender-Based Violence in the Middle East

March 2022 – Humanitarian needs stemming from the crises in Syria and Iraq remain significant throughout the Middle East. Continued violence in Syria raises little prospects for the voluntary safe sustainable and dignified return of over 5.6 million refugees in the region. Internally displaced persons range in the millions in Syria and Iraq and refugees facing protracted displacement in host countries continue to face acute humanitarian needs in Jordan and Lebanon. Yemen continues to face one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises with approximately 20.7 million people in need of humanitarian assistance. In Libya an estimated 823 000 people including around 248 000 children are in-need of humanitarian assistance as a result of persisting political instability conflict and insecurity the breakdown of the rule of law a deteriorating public sector and a dysfunctional economy. With GAC’s support the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) supports the coordination of humanitarian responses to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) across the Middle East namely in Iraq Jordan Lebanon Yemen Libya and Syria. Project activities include: (1) improving informing and implementing cluster SGBV and SRH services and strategies; (2) monitoring and evaluating the performance of the GBV and SRH responses including producing informational and analytical products; and (3) building the capacity of frontline local and national SGBV-response and SRH actors to provide quality SGBV and SRH responses.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) strengthened leadership and coordination of the SGBV and SRH responses; (2) improved monitoring planning and reporting on SGBV and SRH responses; and (3) increased capacity of humanitarian actors to provide quality SGBV response and SRH services in emergencies. The expected ultimate outcome is lives saved suffering alleviated and human dignity maintained in countries experiencing humanitarian crises or acute food insecurity.