Emergency Mission Syria Regional Refugee Response

Emergency Response for the Syrian Refugees -

Seconded CartONG staff as Regional Information Manager deployed to Beirut, Lebanon.

Whereas the crisis in Syria already started in 2011; only recently more and more refugees are arriving in the neighboring countries Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Turkey. The situation on the ground varies a lot, whereas in Jordan and Lebanon most of the Syrians stay in host families or rented accommodation; in Turkey the refugees are hosted in camps. In Iraq, the setting is different in the three governorates, with one established camp in Duhok and a more dispersed setting in Erbil and Suleimaniyah.

It is important to share reliable, uptodate information with the public, streamlining the information products from the different operations and their partners, while at the same time finding the best solutions on reporting and information gathering suitable for the mixed settings. Regional WebPortals displaying figures and statistics for the public are still new for these type of operations and have to get adapted to the situation on the ground.  

The number of Syrian refugees in the region nearly doubled from January to April, currently Turkey has the highest influx with 23,343; followed by  Jordan (13,854) and Lebanon (13,405) registered refugees. In Jordan and Lebanon, where registration is undertaken by UNHCR, many more are already holding registration appointments. Iraq at the moment reports 2,329 registered refugees. These figures are updated almost daily by the country operations and are only valid for today. (30.04.2012). The logistics for reaching, registering and assisting the refugees in a dispersed setting are challenging and require flexible solutions.

More information on the country operations and the population figures can be found on the UNHCR Webportal.