Syria Humanitarian Fund commits US$14.5 million to support vulnerable communities in northeastern Syria

DAMASCUS, 23 January 2020 – The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) released US$14.5 million from the Syria Humanitarian Fund (SHF) to provide immediate support to families affected by the escalation of violence in northeastern Syria, the UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for Syria, Mr. Imran Riza, announced today. More than 800,000 people will receive humanitarian assistance across communities in need, including in Al-Hasakeh, Ar-Raqqa, Deir-ez-Zor and Aleppo governorates.

“This latest contribution by the Syria Humanitarian Fund will reach thousands of families in northeast Syria whose lives have been upended by violence,” said Mr. Riza. “The continued generosity of our donors ensures the United Nations and other humanitarian partners can deliver much-needed assistance to the most vulnerable, wherever they are.” This current release of SHF funds will support 19 humanitarian partners to deliver 26 projects, including in health, food assistance, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), mine action, protection and winterization items.

Approximately 43 per cent of the funds will support UN agency projects ($6.2 million), with 29 per cent to international NGO’s ($4.2 million) and 28 per cent to national NGOs ($4.1 million).

Al Bir Association for Social Services (ABASS) is one of six national NGOs to receive funding.

ABASS will provide weekly medical services to more than 31,000 people in Al-Hasakeh and Tal Tamr in northeast Syria, including to displaced families living in shelters. A medical center and mobile clinic will provide free essential health care and medicines. In addition, ABASS will provide people with disabilities necessary support items, including wheelchairs, eyeglasses, and hearing aids.

“Access to essential health care services is a challenge for most people who are struggling with displacement, the recent hostilities and even rising prices,” said Mohammed Al-Abbasi, a humanitarian worker with ABASS. “With already stretched health services in Al-Hasakeh, the demand is immense. Through our project, we will help tens of thousands of people who desperately need our support.”

The SHF is a multi-donor pooled fund managed by the United Nations that receives contributions from public and private contributors. Since it was established in 2014, the SHF has supported 58 humanitarian organizations in Syria, operating within the parameters of the Syrian Humanitarian Response Plan to meet the most critical needs and to support an effective and coordinated humanitarian response.

Against a funding target of $80 million in 2019, the SHF’s most ambitious to date, donors contributed $71.9 million, or 90 per cent. In 2020, the SHF aims to reach even more people in need, particularly in underserved areas, by increasing partners across all humanitarian sectors.

About the Syria Humanitarian Fund

The Syria Humanitarian Fund (SHF), initiated in June 2014, is led by the Humanitarian Coordinator supported by the Advisory Board, to support the delivery of strategic humanitarian response while retaining the flexibility to allocate funds to unforeseen events or special requirements. It is generously supported by Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Jersey, the Republic of Korea, Luxembourg, Norway, the Netherlands, Qatar, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.