World Vision to attend Berlin meeting for 3RP launch plan to address refugees, host nations

As the Syria crisis nears its 4-year mark, conflict has devastated the nation, forcing half of the country’s population to leave their homes, including over 3.2 million who have sought refuge in neighboring countries and depend on live-saving assistance. Host countries are severely strained trying to maintain the needs of refugees and host communities.

World Vision is extremely concerned about the growing needs of refugees and host communities alike, especially in light of diminishing funds and increasing tensions in the region.

On the 18th of December, World Vision, amongst others, will attend a meeting in Berlin for the launch of the Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan (3RP), an integrated plan developed by UN agencies, iNGOs, and different host governments, across the region, in response to the increased needs and funding shortfalls.

The 3RP replaces the current Regional Response Plan 6 appeal and will attempt to link refugee response plans closer with resilience elements of the national development plans of the host countries. There is a separate plan for operations in Syria, known as the Syria Response Plan (SRP), also due to be released alongside the 3RP in Berlin.

World Vision is calling upon the international community to support the 3RP process in various ways, including through increased flexible funding, for both humanitarian and longer-term assistance to the most vulnerable, both refugees and host communities.

While World Vision is pleased that a plan is being launched to link and integrate refugee response and resilience, with the aim of involving host governments, the international community and implementers, critical areas must be addressed going forward. The international community must ensure that the 3RP:

• Has further clarity, transparency and consistency in its processes in terms of reporting structures, approaches and regional coherence (as the 3RP roll out will look very different for each country).
• Remains country-driven and flexible to reflect the NGO approaches to bridge needs for immediate and longer-term assistance.
• Supports host countries to respond according to vulnerability, so that Syrian refugees, vulnerable host communities and other groups receive support.

“The sheer scale of the Syrian crisis is unprecedented and its urgency commands us to work together in effective and accountable ways to meet the needs of the most vulnerable in affected communities,” says Wynn Flaten, director of World Vision’s Syria Crisis Regional Response, based in Amman, Jordan. “We are hopeful that the 3RP will bring together humanitarian and development responses to build [the] resilience of host communities. We are looking forward to the overall goal of improving conditions and livelihoods for the most vulnerable.”

As the 3RP aims to benefit both refugees and local communities, it will directly reach 4.27 million refugees across the five countries and 1 million people in local communities. The plan estimates an additional 20 million people in local communities will benefit indirectly. The 3RP region covers Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq, and Egypt. The 3RP is jointly led by UNHCR and UNDP.

World Vision works on the ground to prevent further human suffering, but ultimately the only way this will be achieved is through a political solution to the crisis.