Syria Crisis - Support to the No Lost Generation Initiative - 2015

March 2015 - The humanitarian situation in Syria continues to deteriorate as a result of the civil war and intensified violence in the country. The United Nations estimates that 12.2 million people inside Syria including 5.6 million children are in need of humanitarian assistance. Combined with 3.8 million Syrians seeking refuge from the conflict in neighbouring countries this is the largest number of people displaced from conflict in the world. Women and children are particularly vulnerable to the consequences of the conflict and host countries are increasingly overstretched by the influx of people fleeing the conflict. This partner is one of the partners leading the “No Lost Generation” initiative to educate and normalize the lives of conflict-affected children and their families. With DFATD's support this project is providing psychological support to adolescents in Syria Jordan and Lebanon. Project activities include: (1) establishing and strengthening adolescent friendly spaces for 20 000 adolescents; (2) training community-based coaches to lead life skills and recreational activities that enable youth to build their employability skills; (3) establishing networks with gatekeepers to advocate and respond to protection issues; (4) providing opportunities for social interaction self-expression and development of interpersonal skills to 20 000 adolescent girls and boys; and (5) completing community projects involving adolescents and coaches that bring value to local communities and build social capital benefiting 45 000 community members.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) improved capacity in communities to address adolescent education and protection; (2) improved understanding of protection issues and referral mechanisms by community members; (3) improved psychosocial wellbeing and employability of adolescents; (4) enhanced social capital and strengthened community relationships in Syria Jordan and Lebanon; and (5) improved protection for vulnerable children. The expected ultimate outcome is lives saved suffering alleviated and human dignity maintained in countries experiencing humanitarian crises or facing acute food insecurity.