Syria Crisis - Health and Support for Survivors of Sexual Violence - UNFPA 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. With DFATD’s support and that of other donors the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is increasing access to health care services protection and clinical and social services for conflict-affected people with a particular focus on pregnant women and survivors of sexual and gender-based violence in Syria Jordan and Lebanon . Project activities include: (1) providing support for the delivery of life-saving healthcare including emergency obstetric care for up to 2.8 million women in Syria up to 316 000 women in Jordan and up to 622 000 women in Lebanon; (2) providing support for the rehabilitation of maternal health centres to strengthen the delivery of life-saving healthcare services for women; and (3) enhancing the prevention and response mechanisms for sexual and gender-based violence including psychosocial support benefitting more than 2.3 million women and girls.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) increased access to health care services for conflict-affected women; and (2) improved access to protection health counseling and psychosocial services to survivors of sexual and gender-based violence in Syria. The expected ultimate outcome is lives saved suffering alleviated and human dignity maintained in countries experiencing humanitarian crises or facing acute food insecurity.