|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The EU Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian Crisis
October 2018
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
EUTF News
|
|
|
|
|
Dear all,
I am pleased to share with you the 5th Newsletter of the EU Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian crisis, bringing you updates on progress and impact of our projects.
This edition will introduce you to Syrians, Jordanians, Lebanese, and Iraqis whose lives have been positively impacted by the Trust Fund’s actions. The projects cover the socio-economic, health, protection, and sanitation sectors. These projects are currently displayed through a photographic exhibition at the European Union External Services premises in Brussels, Belgium.
I am also delighted to report that by now, the Trust Fund has contracted 55 projects for more than €1 billion, representing over two thirds of the actions adopted by the Board.
This Newsletter has been sent to you as a friend of the Syrian refugees and the local communities, and a partner of this EU Trust Fund or for work related reasons. In case you would not like to receive this Newsletter in the future, you can easily unsubscribe by following this link: You can unsubscribe from our newsletter by contacting us.
Kind regards,
Nadim Karkutli
Manager, EU Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian Crisis
European Commission
DG NEAR
|
|
|
|
Exhibition at the EEAS
|
|
|
The European Commission-managed EU Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian Crisis (DG NEAR) and the European External Action Service (EEAS) opened a photo exhibition of intimate portraits and personal stories of those whose lives have been irrevocably changed by one of the most dreadful human tragedies of our century, the Syria crisis. High Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini visited the exhibition and expressed the honour it is for the EEAS to host it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
EEAS Deputy Secretary General Jean-Christophe Belliard said “Working with host countries to help refugees live a decent life is a key priority until the end of the conflict and until these refugees will be able to return to Syria safely, voluntarily and with dignity.” Johanna de Tessières’ photos document a selection of the many projects supported by the Trust Fund. They also show how EU support has enabled those affected by the Syria crisis to start rebuilding their lives and to turn desperation into hope.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Deputy Secretary General also emphasized the EU’s continued support to the UN-led Geneva process to achieve meaningful progress towards a political solution of the crisis in accordance with UNSCR 2254. Johanna de Tessières shared her impressions from her meetings with project beneficiaries in Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq: “War is ugly. It’s an avalanche of chaos that makes humans mad. But even if the war ends tomorrow, chaos will not fade away. Everything will have to be rebuilt. Everything will start again, and Europe has an important role to play.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
EUTF high-level field visit
|
|
|
European Commission's DG NEAR Deputy Director General Maciej Popowski visited Jordan and Lebanon on 11 and 12 October. Mr. Popowski met with Mr. Azmi Mohafaza, Jordan's Minister of Education and commended the Ministry's efforts to ensure quality education, in particular targeting Syrian children. DDG Popowski also visited three projects funded by the Trust Fund. He saw a UNICEF Makani Centre, where he met Roma and Syrian refugee children attending a learning support class. He then continued to a Jordan Red Crescent Training Centre, where he met with Syrians and Jordanians volunteers sharing their experiences disseminating health messages. Mr. Popowski concluded the Jordan trip by meeting 150 Jordanian and Syrian students of the Trust Fund supported EDU-SYRIA scholarship programme of the German Jordanian University.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
In Lebanon, DDG Popowski met with Acting Minister of Social Affairs Pierre Bou Assi. He recognised the positive role played by the Ministry in providing social protection support to vulnerable populations in the country through Social Development Centres. He also met with the Director General at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Fady Yarak, and reaffirmed the EU's continuous engagement in the public education sector in Lebanon. Lastly, he visited several projects funded by the EU through the Trust Fund in Saida and Beirut, including UNICEF's Sarafand Social Development Centre, Youth Resolve's rehabilitated community centre in Saida led by World Vision, and a public school supported by UNICEF in Beirut.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lebanon
|
|
Health Services
|
Karma, 40, fled war-ravaged Aleppo seven years ago. She found refuge in Greater Beirut with her husband, Ahmad, 43 and their three children. “When we first came to Lebanon, we were looking for peace. Today, we are worried about the future”, Karma explained. “Our lives completely changed; my husband was an attorney at law in Syria, now he is working as a painter”, she added. “I am worried about him. He always seems tired and depressed”. Thanks to Karma, Ahmad was referred to International Medical Corps’ specialised Mental Health Case Management Team.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Through the project Reducing Economic Barriers to Accessing Health Services in Lebanon (REBAHS), funded by the Trust Fund, International Medical Corps reduces the barriers to affordable and quality healthcare services throughout Lebanon. Karma is understandably worried not only about her husband’s health but about the future of her family. Whenever one of her children is sick or needs a vaccination, Karma visits Howard Karagheusian Medico-Social Centre in Bourj Hammoud, Beirut—one of 50 REBAHS-supported facilities. “I am really so grateful for the assistance provided by International Medical Corps. I could never afford the cost of all those services,” she said.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Social Cohesion
|
The Youth RESOLVE consortium, funded by the Trust Fund with the cooperation of AL Reaya, Civil Association Union and UN Habitat opened a community centre end of September in Saida. The community centre will serve as a space for thousands of the most vulnerable children and youth from all backgrounds. Several activities are planned to build capacity and strengthen social cohesion amongst the various communities living side by side in Old Saida and surrounding areas.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mr. Hani Abo Zainab from Al Reaya explained that: “the process of human development is the building block for a nation’s progress". Speaking on behalf of the EU, Mr. Rein Nieland, emphasized that the milestone being celebrated is particularly important to the EU, as it puts young people at the centre of community life. He added "Young people are the heart of society. The rehabilitated centre is not just a space; it is a platform for youth engagement in public life".
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
With 250,000 Syrian refugees having fled to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and 1 million internally displaced people due to the war against Da'esh, Akre Hospital in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, faces dire challenges to provide basic quality services to vulnerable patients. The Trust Fund with the Italian NGO AIPSO jointly contributed to providing Akre Hopsital with brand new emergency ward and helping it better fulfil its life-saving mission.
Click on More to see the video
|
|
|
|
|
At the Domiz Camp, the largest Syrian refugee camp in the Dohuk area, in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, many people risk their lives almost every day because of mines and explosive devices. The Trust Fund partnered up with the Mines Advisory Group (MAG) to help people living in contaminated areas identify the dangerous devices, avoid accidents and report back to MAG’s demining team to clean the area and make it safe for people.
Click on More to see the video
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jordan
|
|
Primary Education & Protection
|
Ayat is an English facilitator at the UNICEF's Makani (“my place”, in Arabic) centre in the Al Rajeeb Community, which serves the most vulnerable children from the area: the Dom community (around 2,000 people of which 60% are children and mothers), as well as Kurds and Syrians. To tackle early marriage and child labour, Al Rajeeb center raises awareness on how important education is for children, while offering families support services such as child protection, early childhood programmes, life skills and innovation labs, and awareness lessons for parents. With time, the idea that children have the right to education has become more embedded in parents’ minds.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Farid, 12, is a member of the Dom community and he is one of Ayat’s students. He lives with his mother Norah and his siblings in a tent, and sometimes he cannot attend classes because he has to work in order to provide for his family. Their financial situation is dire. Life in a tent, especially in the winter is everything but easy. However, Farid feels safe and he is happy to be able to go to school. He is very active, he loves writing on the board and helps his teacher when other children are misbehaving.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Norah is very proud of him. She was forced to take her children out of school seven years ago when she got divorced, because she couldn’t afford the costs. With the support of the Trust Fund, UNICEF helps them survive and have access to services that would otherwise be too expensive for them. Self-imposed isolation and not knowing exactly what their rights were once they came to Jordan, kept the groups within the Dom community marginalised and hindered integration into Jordanian society.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Livelihood & Protection
|
Mariam, 11, is a Palestine refugee from Syria and has been living in the Zarqa camp, Jordan, for the past three years. Fearing for the safety of her 8 children, Sabah, Mariam's mother, decided to join her family in the Zarqa camp of Jordan and has been benefitting from the services offered by UNRWA with the support of the Trust Fund, including cash assistance, education, healthcare and protection.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mariam loves going to school. She firmly believes studying will help her succeed in life and will help her become an engineer or a doctor. Her sister Shaymaa wants to be a civil engineer so she can help rebuild Syria. Moving to Jordan was a traumatic experience. Children fleeing conflict have a hard time integrating with their peers and, oftentimes, they are treated differently because of their origins. Consequently, Mariam was very reluctant to attend classes when they first moved to Jordan. However, thanks to the efforts of teachers and family, she now considers the school her second home.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
On top of normal classes, Palestinian refugee children attend support lessons to compensate for the educational gaps brought about by the crisis. Life is hard for Sabah and her children but with the financial aid and in-kind services they receive, they are able to lead a semi-normal life far from home. Sabah, who remains concerned about their future, is thankful that her children are given the chance to attend school and get an education.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
EUTF in brief
|
|
|
|
What is the EUTF?
|
|
Almost four years into its creation, and with more than EUR 1.4 billion of approved projects, the EU Trust Fund has amply proven its added value beyond its economy of scale and the pooling of contributions from 22 EU Member States donors, and Turkey, as well as different EU financial instruments. It also offers a reinforced approach in Europe's response to the Syrian crisis, improving coordination and coherence, and addresssing longer-term needs of both refugees and local communities.
To date, the EU Trust Fund provides support to more than 2 million Syrian refugees and local communities in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, the Western Balkans, and Armenia. Providing access to education, livelihoods and socio-economic opportunities, health care, water and hygiene as well as providing more opportunities for a sustainable income generation are at the heart of the Trust Fund mandate. The EU Trust Fund has a particular focus on women and girls.
For more info on the EUTF, please visit our website
|
State of play
Over €1.5 billion mobilised
Over €1.4 billion in projects adopted by the Board
€1 billion contracted to over 55 projects
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The EUTF in news & media
|
|
|
|
Recent & Upcoming Events
|
|
|
|
|
18-19 July 2018 – Armenia
IRIS Programme – Launch event
7 August – Turkey
SPARK - TOMER Awarding Ceremony, Gaziantep University
14 September 2018 – Lebanon
UNICEF – Children music workshops
23 September – Lebanon
UNRWA - 'Back to School' Fun Run
12-13 October 2018 – Turkey
UNICEF – Children music workshops
17 October – Jordan
HOPES – Awarding ceremony
18-19 October 2018 – Jordan
UNICEF – Children music workshops
|
|
|
|
Useful links
|
|
|
|
|