In Focus

• New Innovative ShelterSolutionLaunched

• Airlift in Preparation ofHarshWinter

• Life Skills Training - Im-provingLives

unHcR-sYRIA unHcR-sYRIA unHcR-sYRIAunHcR sYRIAunHcRInsYRIA

Followus:

sYRIAIssue 13 of 2015

unHcR successfully Tests New Innovative shelter Solution HIgHlIgHTs

‘Fresh Displacement, Changing Dynamics-

UNHCR Responds’

UNHCR Syria 2015 Mid-Year Report

With thedisplacementof7.6millionpeople inSyria, the shelterneeds aremassive with classical shelter interventions no longerabletomeetalltheshelterneedsofthedisplacedpopulation.Asaresultofthis,UNHCRhashadto‘thinkoutsidethebox’conceptual-izing,designingandlaunchingadditionaltypesofshelterassistance,stressingcommunityempowermentandutilizingitscapacity.

Anumberofpilotshelterprojectshavebeenlaunchedrecentlyforassistancethroughcashforworkprogrammesandsupportedaccesstoessentialbuildingmaterials.Oneofthemostinnova-tiveexamplesistheearth-baghouseconstructionsystemwhichisasimpletoolwhichutilizesCashforWorkintheconstructionofanemergencyshelter.

http://www.refworld.org/docid/55e7f68a4.html

UNHCRhasrecentlyconcludedafifteendayappraisalinQamish-liofthisearth-baghouseconstructionsystemandfoundthattheconstructionoftheearth-baghouseisanefficientwaytosolverequirements encountered when people have to be providedwithabasichomewithinashortperiodoftime.Furthermore,theconstructiondoesnotneedaprofoundknowledgesothatitcanbebuiltbythebeneficiariesthemselves.Comparedtotentstheearth-bagbuilthousehasmanyadvantageswithoutbeingapermanentconstructionandcaneasilybedismantledandthematerialcanbereused.Inadditionthissystemgivesbeneficiar-iestheopportunitytoworkandearnincomeaswellasstimulat-ingsmallbusinessopportunities.

©UNHCR/2015

UNHCR Syria 20152

The testing of this system has proved very successful with the main findings being:

• Theirconstruction iseasyto learnanduser-friendlymakingthemeasytobuildbyunskilledpeopleorcommunities

• Anearth-bagwallisextremelystrong,owingtoitsthicknessandweight,thusisconsiderablymoreresistanttohighwindsorotherdestructiveforces(earthquake,flood,etc.)

• Theyareveryadaptable,asitiseasytoalterthepositionofwallopeningsduringconstruction,ortodismantleanincor-rectlyplacedwallandsubsequentlyrebuild itwiththeverysame material. Also the house can be easily divided intoroomsusingcurtainsorlightpartitionsandtheextensionofwallscanalsoallowfutureexpansion. Inadditionplumbingandelectricalfittingscaneasilybefixedtotheearth-bagwalls.

• Increasedsafety,as therearenopilesofbricksonsite thatmaybe subject to theft, just thebags,which areeasily se-cured,andapileofearth,whichhasnovalue.Furthermore,theearth-baghouseoffersexcellentfireresistanceandextraprotectionfrombullets,comparedtotents.

• Theirsuitabilityforremotelocationsas it isonlymainlythebagsthatneedtobetransportedtothesitesoanearth-bagbuildingcanbeutilizedquicklyatremotesitesinemergencysituations.

Because of it successful testing of this pilot project UNHCR is now planning to expand the earth-bag house shelter solution to other areas in cooperation with its implementing partners.

©UNHCR/2015

©UNHCR/2015©UNHCR/2015

UNHCR Syria 20153

unHcR Airlifts Winter Clothing in Preparation for Harsh WinterThewinterconditionsinSyriaareextremelyharshcausinggreathardshipandsufferingtomanySyrians,especiallyremoteandhard-toreachareas.ForexampleJanuary2015temperaturesfellaslowaslowasminus13degreescentigradeinmanyareasinthecountry.Inaddition,thesnowstormSalamwhichhitSyriaon07January2015causedchaosandfurtherhardshipforSyriansthroughoutthecountrywithroads impassable, intermittentcommunications,electricityandfuelshortagesresultinginmanypeoplebeingunabletoheattheirhomesorthemselves.UNHCRbeganplanningforthecoldweatherthroughoutSyriainmid-2014andasaresult,closeto1.5millionindividualswereprotectedbyUNHCR'swinter-izedpackageforwhichdistributionstartedinNovember2014.

TheHassakehgovernorateisaremoteloca-tioninSyria,inaccessiblebyroad,whichsuf-fersfromanextremelyharshandcoldwin-ter.Aspartofitspreparationandplanningfortheforthcomingwinter,on16Septem-ber UNHCR airlifted nearly five thousandwinter clothing kits, four rubhalls aswellas 2,600 winter sweaters from DamascustoQamishly.TheitemsweredispatchedtoboththeUNHCRwarehouseinQamishlyaswellastoNewrozrefugeecamp.

This isanotherofaseriesofairliftswhichstartedin2013throughwhichUNHCRsuc-ceeded in providing CRIs and life-savingmedicalequipmentandsuppliestovulner-ablepeopleaswellasdispatchingvaccinesagainstpolioforhundredsofthousandsofchildren.

©UNHCR/B.Diab

©UNHCR/B.Diab

UNHCR Syria 20154

DuringSeptember,UNHCRwithitsimplementingpartner,theInternationalMedical Corps (IMC) started a number of lifeskills training courses in Damascus. These courses includedhairdressing,makeupandbeautycare,handicrafts,computermaintenance, mobile maintenance and secretarial studiesandbenefited150IDPsfromninedifferentsheltersaswellaspeoplefromthehostcommunity.

OneoftheattendeesofthesecoursesintailoringwasReemYousef,a29yearoldwomandisplacedfromAlYarmoukcampin Damascus to a collective shelter in Mashroaa Dummar.Reemwasdelightedtoattendthecourseasittookintocon-siderationthedifficultsituationofnotonlyherbutoftheIDPattendees.Reemforexamplewasallowedtobringhersevenyearoldchildwithhertothetraining.

InordertoassistherafterthetrainingwasfinishedReemwasprovidedwithatailoringkitforclothingdesignandknitting.Shehasnowstartedtailoringclothesnotonlyforherchildrenandherselfbutalsoforthedisplacedpeopleresidingintheshelterandisnowestablishingherownsmallbusiness.

Thelossoflivelihoodsforinternallydisplacedpeople(IDPs)negativelyaffectsthepsychologicalwell-beingofpeopleandoftenleadstoprotectionconcerns.Generatingincomeduringdisplacementnotonlyimprovespeople’squalityoflifebutalsohelpsavoidprotracteddependencyandprotectspeoplefromabuse.UNHCRthereforeprovideslifeskillstrainingcoursestorespondtoprevailingprotectionriskssuchasdroppingoutofschool,childlaboraswellassexualandgenderbasedviolence.Thesetrainingsalsoprovidewomenheadinghouseholdswithasafespacetolearnaprofessionandiniti-atetheirownbusiness.

Life Skills Training - Improving lives

©UNHCR/A.Nasser

©UNHCR/A.NasserReemattendingthecoursewithherchild

©UNHCR/A.Nasser

UNHCR Syria 20155

Thanks to Our Donors

Formoreinformation,pleasecontact:

TheReportingUnitatUNHCRSyriaDamienMcSweeney,Reportingofficer

#syrdareporting@unhcr.org

Thesearethe2014and2015donorsfortheSyriasituation