Jordan - Syria Refugee Relief fund

Amman, 24 March 2020 – As the first case of coronavirus is confirmed in Syria, CARE is deeply concerned about the health and safety of over three million people in Northwest Syria, over half of whom are internally displaced and live in crowded camps. With the inability to test for the virus, many more cases in the Northwest, which struggles with overcrowding and a fragile health infrastructure, could go undiagnosed.

“Nine years of conflict have left Syria in shambles. Not only are many vulnerable people living in tents and makeshift shelters, but civilian infrastructure, including hospitals and health care centers, have been decimated. With many healthcare professionals having either left the country or become displaced, providing sufficient medical assistance at scale is nearly impossible. As developed countries struggle to cope with responding to the virus, an outbreak will have devastating consequences on the war-torn country, where millions are in need of aid,” said Nirvana Shawky, CARE’s Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa.

Since the Government of Turkey’s decision to ban some medical items for export, including protective masks and gloves, these items have become scarce in Syria and are being restricted for the use of medical professionals and facilities. Other items such as hand sanitizers are also difficult to find.

Through its Syrian partner organizations, CARE has received reports of people exhibiting symptoms similar to those of COVID-19, but with no capacity to test by medical staff in Syria, those cases cannot be confirmed. The need to provide testing kits and protective gear is on the rise, with reports by the World Health Organization that kits will be delivered to Idlib on Wednesday.

“Illnesses do not know borders and a likely outbreak in Syria will overwhelm the already stretched aid response. A pandemic requires a global responsibility to act. We must act quickly and collectively by stepping up preventative measures and the transfer of medical supplies to spare Syrians even more suffering and avert a humanitarian catastrophe,” Shawky says.

In response to the spread of the coronavirus, CARE has put in place COVID-19 prevention, mitigation and response programming, focusing on supporting clean water and sanitation services. In Northwest Syria, CARE continues to ensure the delivery of clean water. Due to the need to increase handwashing, CARE has put plans in place to increase water trucking to people in the area. CARE also will increase the distribution of soap, cleaning material and information material for hygiene promotion.

• CARE has been providing aid in Syria since 2014, and has reached more than 5 million people so far. Our work is focused on food security, livelihoods, women’s economic empowerment, shelter, water and sanitation, maternal and reproductive health support, and psychosocial support for people in crisis.
• About CARE:

Founded in 1945, CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty and providing lifesaving assistance in emergencies. In 100 countries around the world, CARE places special focus on working alongside poor girls and women because, equipped with the proper resources, they have the power to help lift whole families and entire communities out of poverty. To learn more, visit www.care-international.org

Links:

• https://www.care-international.org/news/press-releases/care-deeply-concerned-as-the-first-covid-19-case-is-reported-in-syria

Two New CARE Reports Examine Resilience and Changing Gender Norms Among Syrians

New York (February 26, 2020) – Nearly nine years of conflict have brought about sweeping and protracted changes in the lives of Syrian people. Syrians are adapting to a ‘new normal’ as it relates to new livelihood strategies, new ways of accessing education, and new gender roles. Syrian women, both inside Syria and who are refugees in neighboring countries, have entered the workforce in much larger numbers, and are doing jobs often seen as being only for men, according to two new CARE reports entitled, “Understanding Resilience” and “Syrian Refugee Women’s Roles”.

“The death, injury, disappearance, and displacement of Syrian men has forced many women to adapt their traditional roles. Syrian women have had to learn new skills, forge new social networks, and change the way they perceive their own roles, and rights. They now have more power, decision making authority, and, importantly, a voice,” says Nirvana Shawky, Regional Director for CARE in the Middle East and North Africa.

“As we begin to start contemplating a post-conflict Syria, it is absolutely crucial that women are at the front and center of efforts to build a sustainable peace. The evidence clearly shows that when women are not front and center of such efforts, there can be no sustainable peace. But as the report shows, ensuring women’s participation even at the community level will not be an easy trajectory,” says Ambassador James Roscoe, Head of Open Societies and Partnerships at the UK Mission to the UN.

CARE’s 2020 “Understanding Resilience” and “Syrian Refugee Women’s Roles” studies similarly found that women are taking on roles they simply did not have before: roughly 72% of respondents of the study in Syria and 83% of women in the refugee study indicated having had at least one new livelihood strategy since the start of the conflict.

“Syrian women have shown a strong willingness and ability to adapt to the realities of their new situation. Their newfound confidence, strength, and sense of competency must be recognized and reinforced. More than ever, it is critical that we provide Syrian women with our collective support, as they overcome severe hardship. They are the key to their country’s future,” says Shawky.

“Understanding Resilience: Perspectives from Syrians” identifies social capital as the most critical and consistently cited source of support from families and individuals facing conflict-related shocks and disruptions to their lives. Social networks are an indispensable safety net. In the midst of active conflict, people relied on one another to absorb shocks, stay safe and survive. People who have strong social networks in a location that they have been displaced to are more likely to effectively adapt to that new location.

In “Syrian Refugee Women’s Roles”, many women report increased confidence and influence in family decision making, as both “the breadwinner” and “mother and father”. This has also brought about new feelings of empowerment and independence, and has changed some views on marriage and degree of agency they have in making decisions about their relationships. But this dual role also brings stress and exhaustion, as women fulfil both the role of full-time breadwinner, as well as primary caregiver and homemaker. This has compounded the psycho-social stress associated with nine years of conflict and for many, repeated displacement.

On the other hand, some women interviewed indicated a desire to return to the traditional role they had always imagined for themselves. While change was necessary for survival, there continue to be many pressures from both family and community for women to return to more traditional roles.

The studies also found that many women both inside and outside Syria reported that they found the change in their roles difficult, but positive, indicating that they were mostly happy to have the opportunities to work and earn income for themselves, despite the ensuing intense pressures. Working and contributing income has vastly increased the confidence of many women and their belief in their own abilities. Overwhelmingly, these women have a new found sense of confidence, competence, and empowerment that needs support, whether it is exhibited in women as leaders outside the home, or as strong, confident women inside the home.

Links to CARE's reports and a policy briefing are attached to this update.

SOURCE: https://www.care.org/newsroom/press/press-releases/two-new-care-reports-examine-resilience-and-changing-gender-norms

Links:

• Briefing-Supporting Resilience in Syria

• Understanding Resilience: Perspectives from Syria (PDF)
  
• Syrian Refugee Women's Roles (PDF)