1 February 2013

IOM Regional Response to the Syria Crisis

SITUATION REPORT

1

HIGHLIGHTS

Syria IOM distributed 14264 NFIs including hygiene and house cleaning kits jerry cans and baby diapers to 41448 affected beneficiaries in Homs Damascus Rural Damascus Idleb Hama and Latakia

Iraq IOM transported 37073 Syrian refugees from

Peshkhabour and Sehela border crossings to reach camps and transit sites in Dahuk Erbil and Sulay-maniyah

Jordan IOM transported 1454 Syrian refugees from Rabarsquo al Sarhan to EJC (69) and Zarsquoatri camp (1385) IOM has provided transportation assistance to 333876 Syrian refugees since July 2012

IOM Regional Response to the Syria Crisis

13 - 29 August 2013

IOM Situation Report ndash 29 August 2013

27 Psychosocial professionals and volunteers were trained on lsquoPuppetry for Social Dialoguersquo in Damascus To date IOM has trained 182 professionals and community workers from various governorates in Syria in mental health and psychosocial consid-erationscopy IOM 2013

Since March 2011 IOM has provided assistance to over 15 million vulnerable migrants IDPs refugees and communi-ties affected by the humanitarian crisis in Syria IOM provides assistance to affected communities in Syria Iraq Leb-anon Jordan Turkey and Egypt IOM staff is being sensitized to heightened security risk levels and threats Despite a marked deterioration of security across the region in the past two weeks which has impacted operations particularly inside Syria and Lebanon IOM was able to provide humanitarian assistance to over 85000 vulnerable individuals

IOM Situation Report ndash 29 August 2013 2

Non-Food Item (NFI) Distribu-tion From 13 to 27 August IOM distributed 14264 NFIs including hygiene and house cleaning kits jerry cans and baby diapers to 41448 affected beneficiaries in Homs Damas-cus Rural Damascus Idleb Ha-ma and Latakia IOM staff worked alongside representa-tives from Orthodox Charity Syria Trust Al Faihaa Associa-tion and Syrian Arab Red Cres-cent (SARC) to ensure quick and efficient delivery of assistance to the most vulnerable beneficiaries On 26 August distributions in Rural Damascus were cancelled due to insecurity IOM is finalizing the rehabilitation of a warehouse in Tartous IOM will preposition items in Tartous to assist the Organization to respond quickly and effectively to needs reported in the area Tartous is a port city lo-cated in close proximity to the Syrian-Lebanese border Since January 2013 IOM has assisted over 277472 IDPs in 12 governorates in Syria through the provision of 89307 NFI kits including mattresses blankets clean-ing items insecticides baby diapers kitchen sets un-derwear jerry cans and disability support items IOM plans to reach 500000 IDPs by the end of 2013 Psychosocial Support to Affected Communities IOM provides operational assistance and training to in-creasebuild the capacity of professionals and volun-teers to provide psychosocial support to people affect-ed by the crisis in Syria During the reporting period IOM staff ran 2 work-shops middot Training of Trainers (18 ndash 22 August) On 22 August

IOM completed the training of 15 professional trainers to deliver supportive communication ac-tive listening and self-care workshops to NGO front-line workers These professionals will organize training workshops in Homs Aleppo and Lattakia 910 frontline workers will benefit from this pro-gramme

middot Training on Art-Based Interventions (21 ndash 25 August)

IOM with the support of the Syrian Society for So-

cial Development (SSSD) trained 27 professionals and volunteers on lsquoPuppetry for Social Dialoguersquo in Damascus The participants were from the SSSD the Children Culture Directorate Ministry of Educa-tion SARC Faculty of Education Terre Des Hommes (TDH) International Medical Corps (IMC) UNRWA Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch (GOPA) Danish Refugee Council (DRC) volunteers from Good Sheperd NGO and local community vol-unteers from Damascus Homs and Quamishly After the training participants commented that they were now equipped to use puppetry as a counseling medium and they had leant how to use their voices and body language when working with children

Since July 2013 IOM has trained 102 shelter managers in Damascus Rural Damascus Tartous and Homs on how to protect and promote the psychosocial wellbe-ing of the residents in the day-to-day activities of the shelter Shelter managers report that they observe stress reactions amongst the residents of the collective shelters such as fatigue stress and insomnia Some-times the stress may be caused by the conditions of the centers and the way their services are organized To date IOM has trained 182 professionals and com-munity workers from various governorates in Syria in mental health and psychosocial considerations who have provided assistance to over 42000 men women and children affected by the crisis Identification and Assessment of Emergency Collective Shelters for Rehabilitation During the reporting period IOM staff completed technical assessments of 18 shel-ters in Rural Damascus that accommodate 412 IDP households (2644 beneficiaries)

IOM OPERATIONS

IN SYRIA

Since July IOM has trained 102 shelter managers in Damascus Rural Damascus Tar-tous and Homs copy IOM 2013 (Photo IOM Syria)

IOM Situation Report ndash 29 August 2013 3

SYRIA OPERATIONS cont

Repair and rehabilitation of 42 collective shelters is on-going in Homs (20) Hama (9) Latakia (7) and Damas-cus (6) The shelters under repair accommodate 2925 IDP households (14680 individuals) Progress reports indicate that repair and rehabilitation of almost 60 of the 42 shelters is complete Since January 2013 IOM has identified 342 collective shelters and completed technical assessments of 97 shelters in 4 governorates According to the SARC the number of displaced population in Syria has reached 425 million with 147000 IDPs living in over 829 shel-ters Repatriation to Stranded Migrants IOM provides as-sistance to vulnerable stranded migrants to leave Syria and return to their countries of origin From 13 to 27 August IOM provided repatriation assistance to 148 stranded migrants including 118 adults and 21 chil-dren to return to the Philippines (96) South Sudan (16) Yemen (15) Sudan (12) Ethiopia (4) and Moldo-va (5) During the reporting period IOM teams report-ed delays at the Masnaa border crossing into Lebanon as there is an influx of refugees leaving Syria as a result of the escalation of violence in Damascus IOM has a remaining caseload of 658 stranded migrants who re-quire assistance to leave Syria Since January 2013 IOM has assisted 636 stranded migrants (473 adults

and 107 children) Resettlement Assistance for Refugees from Syria From 13 to 27 August IOM provided resettlement as-sistance to 291 refugees from Iraq (117) Palestine (7) Somalia (7) and 4 Syrian nationals married to Iraqi and Palestian refugees The refugees were assisted to trav-el to Australia (125) Canada (88) United States of America (65) New Zealand (11) and Finland (2) Since January 2013 IOM has provided resettlement assis-tance to 4061 refugees who have been escorted by road from Damascus to Beirut and flown out of Rafic Hariri International Airport IOM is planning to assist 1600 refugees before January 2014

During a visit to the Sport City Collective Shelter in Latakia City that ac-commodates over 5000 IDPs IOM staff noticed a ten year old boy in ob-vious distress who was screaming at his mother Ahmed a Syrian IDP who suffers from a hearing impediment is struggling to adjust to living at the center His mother explains that for many months she was unable to communicate with her son as she left his hearing aid behind in their home on the night they fled (4 August 2012) She told staff that the night they were forced to leave their home in Oubin she was panicking and did not have time to search for the aid as she was desperately trying to get her 7 children out the house and to safety It was a number of months before a local charity were able to secure a replacement hearing aid during those months it was difficult to explain to Ahmed what had happened to his home and his school and his friends He still believes that his house and school are waiting for him in Oubin (Alhaffah District) and he cannot un-

derstand why the family remains at the collective center Ahmed and his family are completely depend-ent on food NFI and shelter assistance provided at the center as the family relied on income generated from the produce from their farm which they can no longer access In 2013 IOM has distributed almost 9400 NFI kits in the Sport City in Latakia The kits include baby dia-pers underwear house cleaning items insecticides and the disability kits include wheel chairs and portable toilets for IDPs with limited mobility At the center IOM has installed 60 prefab accommoda-tion units (each unit accommodates 3 families) and 49 toilet and shower units 7000 IDPs will benefit from improved facilities and services once the repair and rehabilitation work being carried out by IOM is complete in early September

Ahmedrsquos Story

Ahmed (age 10)

Accommodation and toilet blocks were delivered to a col-lective Center in Latakia that accommodates over 5000 IDPs copy IOM 2013 (Photo IOM Syria)

4 IOM Situation Report ndash 29 August 2013

IRAQ OPERATIONS

Assistance to Syrian Refugees to reach Camps and Transit Sites from the Border Since 15 August IOM has arranged over 1500 trips to transport 37073 Syri-an refugees from Sehela and Peshkhabour border crossings to camps and transit sites in Dahuk Erbil and Sulaymaniyah The population of Syrian refugees in Iraq is now considered to be approximately 197000 IOM has transported refugees to Aarbad District camp Gawer Gosik camp Baharka temporary camp Kawa camp and Qushtapa town Harir Camp in Basrima Bekhme Dam area and Domiz Camp This influx of ref-ugees has been accommodated across 8 camps and communities in Dahuk Erbil and Sulaymaniyah Since 23 August IOM has erected 170 tents in Harir camp to accommodate approximately 850 Syrian ref-ugees IOM has deployed 16 ndash 18 staff to collect basic infor-mation from refugees travelling on IOM transport to create rough profiles on family demographics places of origin desired locations in Iraq and priority needs and services Refugees speaking with IOM staff report that thou-sands remain behind waiting to cross into Iraq Refu-gees most of whom have come from Aleppo Hasska-hes Qamishli and Efrin report that the conditions in Syria have deteriorated quickly in the past few months as fighting has intensified with shortages of food and a surge in the cost of basic commodities

Vulnerability and Needs Assessments in Ninewa From 18 to 25 August IOM in coordination with local authorities in Zumar sub-district assessed 50 families (420 individuals) to identify families eligible to receive NFI assistance Key findings indicate that all the fami-lies had entered Iraq in the last 3 months through the Sehela border crossing none of the families had regis-tered with UNHCR Most of the families were either renting accommodation or living in buildings still under construction without any basic services Few families had a regular source of income the majority of fami-lies rely on food assistance from the local community 11 of the 50 families are female-headed households and 36 families report at least one member with a dis-ability or chronic disease requiring treatment All the households assessed meet the vulnerability criteria and will receive NFI assistance from IOM

IOM provided 200 tents for newly arrived refugees in Harir camp copy IOM 2013 (Photo IOM Iraq)

A Syrian family from Al Hasaka They crossed into Iraq on 16 Au-gust after waiting to cross at the border for six days Now they are living in a building under construc-tion copy IOM 2013 (Photo IOM Iraq)

LEBANON OPERATIONS

IOM Situation Report ndash 29 August 2013 5

Challenges for Access and Implementing Activities Since 15 August IOM activities and operations in South Lebanon and Tripoli have been impacted by height-ened security measures following incidents in Tripoli and Southern Beirut Transit Assistance to stranded migrants and refugees accepted for resettlement from Syria The Govern-ment of Lebanon has suggested IOM establish an office at the Masnaa border crossing point since the Organi-zation maintains a presence at the Lebanese-Syrian border crossing point in Masnaa IOM operates a land-bridge between Damascus and Beirut since February 2013 to assist refugees accepted for resettlement from Syria and stranded migrants to transit through Leba-non and fly out of Rafic Hariri International Airport Since February 2013 4091 refugees and 510 stranded migrants were assisted by IOM to transit through Leba-non Resettlement Assistance to 5000 Syrian Refugees IOM is finalizing preparations for a charter flight for 124 Syrian refugees to Germany which is scheduled for 11 September 2013 These refugees who form part of the 5000 Syrian refugees accepted for resettlement to Germany are the first group to travel to Hanover IOM is providing these refugees with medical screening cultural orientation assistance to obtain travel docu-ments and resettlement transport Over the next 12 months IOM in coordination with the Government of Germany and UNHCR will assist 5000 Syrian refugees to be resettled to Germany Shelter Assistance to Vulnerable Syrian Refugee Households Nationwide shelter shortages continue to concern IOM and partners Since June 2013 in coordi-nation with the local municipalities IOM assessed

1620 households and identified 104 of the most vul-nerable Syrian refugee families across 8 villages in South Lebanon in need of rental assistance for six months On 23 August IOM distributed the first monthly installment to 40 households IOM is currently procuring shelter support and weather-proofing items for distribution before the onset of winter IOM will focus on distributing these items to refugees with spe-cial needs and those living in high-lying areas of the country affected by low temperatures snow and high rainfall during the winter months Rapid Health Assessment Findings The initial findings from an ongoing health needs assessment completed by an IOM emergency health response team indicate that there are gaps in health service coverage despite the multitude of health actors (both national and inter-national humanitarian actors) already working on the ground to support the existing national health care system The main gaps and constraints that have been identified are financial barriers geographical coverage gaps and health workforce constraints Health needs are on the increase across the country due to the con-tinuous influx of refugees and Lebanese returnees flee-ing Syria Certain areas such as Mount Lebanon re-main largely uncovered by health sector partners Non-Food Item (NFI) Distributions During the re-porting period IOM distributed 110 hygiene and digni-ty kits to 552 beneficiaries in Ghassaniyeh and El Merouaniye IOM has started the procurement of win-ter NFI items At the request of UNHCR IOM will focus distributions in areas in the North and the Bekaa areas which are not covered by partners IOM is planning to distribute 2900 kits for an estimated 14500 vulnera-ble beneficiaries

IOM is providing 104 vulnerable Syrian refugee families in South Lebanon with rental assistance for 6 months copy IOM 2013

IOM Situation Report ndash 29 August 2013 2

Non-Food Item (NFI) Distribu-tion From 13 to 27 August IOM distributed 14264 NFIs including hygiene and house cleaning kits jerry cans and baby diapers to 41448 affected beneficiaries in Homs Damas-cus Rural Damascus Idleb Ha-ma and Latakia IOM staff worked alongside representa-tives from Orthodox Charity Syria Trust Al Faihaa Associa-tion and Syrian Arab Red Cres-cent (SARC) to ensure quick and efficient delivery of assistance to the most vulnerable beneficiaries On 26 August distributions in Rural Damascus were cancelled due to insecurity IOM is finalizing the rehabilitation of a warehouse in Tartous IOM will preposition items in Tartous to assist the Organization to respond quickly and effectively to needs reported in the area Tartous is a port city lo-cated in close proximity to the Syrian-Lebanese border Since January 2013 IOM has assisted over 277472 IDPs in 12 governorates in Syria through the provision of 89307 NFI kits including mattresses blankets clean-ing items insecticides baby diapers kitchen sets un-derwear jerry cans and disability support items IOM plans to reach 500000 IDPs by the end of 2013 Psychosocial Support to Affected Communities IOM provides operational assistance and training to in-creasebuild the capacity of professionals and volun-teers to provide psychosocial support to people affect-ed by the crisis in Syria During the reporting period IOM staff ran 2 work-shops middot Training of Trainers (18 ndash 22 August) On 22 August

IOM completed the training of 15 professional trainers to deliver supportive communication ac-tive listening and self-care workshops to NGO front-line workers These professionals will organize training workshops in Homs Aleppo and Lattakia 910 frontline workers will benefit from this pro-gramme

middot Training on Art-Based Interventions (21 ndash 25 August)

IOM with the support of the Syrian Society for So-

cial Development (SSSD) trained 27 professionals and volunteers on lsquoPuppetry for Social Dialoguersquo in Damascus The participants were from the SSSD the Children Culture Directorate Ministry of Educa-tion SARC Faculty of Education Terre Des Hommes (TDH) International Medical Corps (IMC) UNRWA Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch (GOPA) Danish Refugee Council (DRC) volunteers from Good Sheperd NGO and local community vol-unteers from Damascus Homs and Quamishly After the training participants commented that they were now equipped to use puppetry as a counseling medium and they had leant how to use their voices and body language when working with children

Since July 2013 IOM has trained 102 shelter managers in Damascus Rural Damascus Tartous and Homs on how to protect and promote the psychosocial wellbe-ing of the residents in the day-to-day activities of the shelter Shelter managers report that they observe stress reactions amongst the residents of the collective shelters such as fatigue stress and insomnia Some-times the stress may be caused by the conditions of the centers and the way their services are organized To date IOM has trained 182 professionals and com-munity workers from various governorates in Syria in mental health and psychosocial considerations who have provided assistance to over 42000 men women and children affected by the crisis Identification and Assessment of Emergency Collective Shelters for Rehabilitation During the reporting period IOM staff completed technical assessments of 18 shel-ters in Rural Damascus that accommodate 412 IDP households (2644 beneficiaries)

IOM OPERATIONS

IN SYRIA

Since July IOM has trained 102 shelter managers in Damascus Rural Damascus Tar-tous and Homs copy IOM 2013 (Photo IOM Syria)

IOM Situation Report ndash 29 August 2013 3

SYRIA OPERATIONS cont

Repair and rehabilitation of 42 collective shelters is on-going in Homs (20) Hama (9) Latakia (7) and Damas-cus (6) The shelters under repair accommodate 2925 IDP households (14680 individuals) Progress reports indicate that repair and rehabilitation of almost 60 of the 42 shelters is complete Since January 2013 IOM has identified 342 collective shelters and completed technical assessments of 97 shelters in 4 governorates According to the SARC the number of displaced population in Syria has reached 425 million with 147000 IDPs living in over 829 shel-ters Repatriation to Stranded Migrants IOM provides as-sistance to vulnerable stranded migrants to leave Syria and return to their countries of origin From 13 to 27 August IOM provided repatriation assistance to 148 stranded migrants including 118 adults and 21 chil-dren to return to the Philippines (96) South Sudan (16) Yemen (15) Sudan (12) Ethiopia (4) and Moldo-va (5) During the reporting period IOM teams report-ed delays at the Masnaa border crossing into Lebanon as there is an influx of refugees leaving Syria as a result of the escalation of violence in Damascus IOM has a remaining caseload of 658 stranded migrants who re-quire assistance to leave Syria Since January 2013 IOM has assisted 636 stranded migrants (473 adults

and 107 children) Resettlement Assistance for Refugees from Syria From 13 to 27 August IOM provided resettlement as-sistance to 291 refugees from Iraq (117) Palestine (7) Somalia (7) and 4 Syrian nationals married to Iraqi and Palestian refugees The refugees were assisted to trav-el to Australia (125) Canada (88) United States of America (65) New Zealand (11) and Finland (2) Since January 2013 IOM has provided resettlement assis-tance to 4061 refugees who have been escorted by road from Damascus to Beirut and flown out of Rafic Hariri International Airport IOM is planning to assist 1600 refugees before January 2014

During a visit to the Sport City Collective Shelter in Latakia City that ac-commodates over 5000 IDPs IOM staff noticed a ten year old boy in ob-vious distress who was screaming at his mother Ahmed a Syrian IDP who suffers from a hearing impediment is struggling to adjust to living at the center His mother explains that for many months she was unable to communicate with her son as she left his hearing aid behind in their home on the night they fled (4 August 2012) She told staff that the night they were forced to leave their home in Oubin she was panicking and did not have time to search for the aid as she was desperately trying to get her 7 children out the house and to safety It was a number of months before a local charity were able to secure a replacement hearing aid during those months it was difficult to explain to Ahmed what had happened to his home and his school and his friends He still believes that his house and school are waiting for him in Oubin (Alhaffah District) and he cannot un-

derstand why the family remains at the collective center Ahmed and his family are completely depend-ent on food NFI and shelter assistance provided at the center as the family relied on income generated from the produce from their farm which they can no longer access In 2013 IOM has distributed almost 9400 NFI kits in the Sport City in Latakia The kits include baby dia-pers underwear house cleaning items insecticides and the disability kits include wheel chairs and portable toilets for IDPs with limited mobility At the center IOM has installed 60 prefab accommoda-tion units (each unit accommodates 3 families) and 49 toilet and shower units 7000 IDPs will benefit from improved facilities and services once the repair and rehabilitation work being carried out by IOM is complete in early September

Ahmedrsquos Story

Ahmed (age 10)

Accommodation and toilet blocks were delivered to a col-lective Center in Latakia that accommodates over 5000 IDPs copy IOM 2013 (Photo IOM Syria)

4 IOM Situation Report ndash 29 August 2013

IRAQ OPERATIONS

Assistance to Syrian Refugees to reach Camps and Transit Sites from the Border Since 15 August IOM has arranged over 1500 trips to transport 37073 Syri-an refugees from Sehela and Peshkhabour border crossings to camps and transit sites in Dahuk Erbil and Sulaymaniyah The population of Syrian refugees in Iraq is now considered to be approximately 197000 IOM has transported refugees to Aarbad District camp Gawer Gosik camp Baharka temporary camp Kawa camp and Qushtapa town Harir Camp in Basrima Bekhme Dam area and Domiz Camp This influx of ref-ugees has been accommodated across 8 camps and communities in Dahuk Erbil and Sulaymaniyah Since 23 August IOM has erected 170 tents in Harir camp to accommodate approximately 850 Syrian ref-ugees IOM has deployed 16 ndash 18 staff to collect basic infor-mation from refugees travelling on IOM transport to create rough profiles on family demographics places of origin desired locations in Iraq and priority needs and services Refugees speaking with IOM staff report that thou-sands remain behind waiting to cross into Iraq Refu-gees most of whom have come from Aleppo Hasska-hes Qamishli and Efrin report that the conditions in Syria have deteriorated quickly in the past few months as fighting has intensified with shortages of food and a surge in the cost of basic commodities

Vulnerability and Needs Assessments in Ninewa From 18 to 25 August IOM in coordination with local authorities in Zumar sub-district assessed 50 families (420 individuals) to identify families eligible to receive NFI assistance Key findings indicate that all the fami-lies had entered Iraq in the last 3 months through the Sehela border crossing none of the families had regis-tered with UNHCR Most of the families were either renting accommodation or living in buildings still under construction without any basic services Few families had a regular source of income the majority of fami-lies rely on food assistance from the local community 11 of the 50 families are female-headed households and 36 families report at least one member with a dis-ability or chronic disease requiring treatment All the households assessed meet the vulnerability criteria and will receive NFI assistance from IOM

IOM provided 200 tents for newly arrived refugees in Harir camp copy IOM 2013 (Photo IOM Iraq)

A Syrian family from Al Hasaka They crossed into Iraq on 16 Au-gust after waiting to cross at the border for six days Now they are living in a building under construc-tion copy IOM 2013 (Photo IOM Iraq)

LEBANON OPERATIONS

IOM Situation Report ndash 29 August 2013 5

Challenges for Access and Implementing Activities Since 15 August IOM activities and operations in South Lebanon and Tripoli have been impacted by height-ened security measures following incidents in Tripoli and Southern Beirut Transit Assistance to stranded migrants and refugees accepted for resettlement from Syria The Govern-ment of Lebanon has suggested IOM establish an office at the Masnaa border crossing point since the Organi-zation maintains a presence at the Lebanese-Syrian border crossing point in Masnaa IOM operates a land-bridge between Damascus and Beirut since February 2013 to assist refugees accepted for resettlement from Syria and stranded migrants to transit through Leba-non and fly out of Rafic Hariri International Airport Since February 2013 4091 refugees and 510 stranded migrants were assisted by IOM to transit through Leba-non Resettlement Assistance to 5000 Syrian Refugees IOM is finalizing preparations for a charter flight for 124 Syrian refugees to Germany which is scheduled for 11 September 2013 These refugees who form part of the 5000 Syrian refugees accepted for resettlement to Germany are the first group to travel to Hanover IOM is providing these refugees with medical screening cultural orientation assistance to obtain travel docu-ments and resettlement transport Over the next 12 months IOM in coordination with the Government of Germany and UNHCR will assist 5000 Syrian refugees to be resettled to Germany Shelter Assistance to Vulnerable Syrian Refugee Households Nationwide shelter shortages continue to concern IOM and partners Since June 2013 in coordi-nation with the local municipalities IOM assessed

1620 households and identified 104 of the most vul-nerable Syrian refugee families across 8 villages in South Lebanon in need of rental assistance for six months On 23 August IOM distributed the first monthly installment to 40 households IOM is currently procuring shelter support and weather-proofing items for distribution before the onset of winter IOM will focus on distributing these items to refugees with spe-cial needs and those living in high-lying areas of the country affected by low temperatures snow and high rainfall during the winter months Rapid Health Assessment Findings The initial findings from an ongoing health needs assessment completed by an IOM emergency health response team indicate that there are gaps in health service coverage despite the multitude of health actors (both national and inter-national humanitarian actors) already working on the ground to support the existing national health care system The main gaps and constraints that have been identified are financial barriers geographical coverage gaps and health workforce constraints Health needs are on the increase across the country due to the con-tinuous influx of refugees and Lebanese returnees flee-ing Syria Certain areas such as Mount Lebanon re-main largely uncovered by health sector partners Non-Food Item (NFI) Distributions During the re-porting period IOM distributed 110 hygiene and digni-ty kits to 552 beneficiaries in Ghassaniyeh and El Merouaniye IOM has started the procurement of win-ter NFI items At the request of UNHCR IOM will focus distributions in areas in the North and the Bekaa areas which are not covered by partners IOM is planning to distribute 2900 kits for an estimated 14500 vulnera-ble beneficiaries

IOM is providing 104 vulnerable Syrian refugee families in South Lebanon with rental assistance for 6 months copy IOM 2013

IOM Situation Report ndash 29 August 2013 3

SYRIA OPERATIONS cont

Repair and rehabilitation of 42 collective shelters is on-going in Homs (20) Hama (9) Latakia (7) and Damas-cus (6) The shelters under repair accommodate 2925 IDP households (14680 individuals) Progress reports indicate that repair and rehabilitation of almost 60 of the 42 shelters is complete Since January 2013 IOM has identified 342 collective shelters and completed technical assessments of 97 shelters in 4 governorates According to the SARC the number of displaced population in Syria has reached 425 million with 147000 IDPs living in over 829 shel-ters Repatriation to Stranded Migrants IOM provides as-sistance to vulnerable stranded migrants to leave Syria and return to their countries of origin From 13 to 27 August IOM provided repatriation assistance to 148 stranded migrants including 118 adults and 21 chil-dren to return to the Philippines (96) South Sudan (16) Yemen (15) Sudan (12) Ethiopia (4) and Moldo-va (5) During the reporting period IOM teams report-ed delays at the Masnaa border crossing into Lebanon as there is an influx of refugees leaving Syria as a result of the escalation of violence in Damascus IOM has a remaining caseload of 658 stranded migrants who re-quire assistance to leave Syria Since January 2013 IOM has assisted 636 stranded migrants (473 adults

and 107 children) Resettlement Assistance for Refugees from Syria From 13 to 27 August IOM provided resettlement as-sistance to 291 refugees from Iraq (117) Palestine (7) Somalia (7) and 4 Syrian nationals married to Iraqi and Palestian refugees The refugees were assisted to trav-el to Australia (125) Canada (88) United States of America (65) New Zealand (11) and Finland (2) Since January 2013 IOM has provided resettlement assis-tance to 4061 refugees who have been escorted by road from Damascus to Beirut and flown out of Rafic Hariri International Airport IOM is planning to assist 1600 refugees before January 2014

During a visit to the Sport City Collective Shelter in Latakia City that ac-commodates over 5000 IDPs IOM staff noticed a ten year old boy in ob-vious distress who was screaming at his mother Ahmed a Syrian IDP who suffers from a hearing impediment is struggling to adjust to living at the center His mother explains that for many months she was unable to communicate with her son as she left his hearing aid behind in their home on the night they fled (4 August 2012) She told staff that the night they were forced to leave their home in Oubin she was panicking and did not have time to search for the aid as she was desperately trying to get her 7 children out the house and to safety It was a number of months before a local charity were able to secure a replacement hearing aid during those months it was difficult to explain to Ahmed what had happened to his home and his school and his friends He still believes that his house and school are waiting for him in Oubin (Alhaffah District) and he cannot un-

derstand why the family remains at the collective center Ahmed and his family are completely depend-ent on food NFI and shelter assistance provided at the center as the family relied on income generated from the produce from their farm which they can no longer access In 2013 IOM has distributed almost 9400 NFI kits in the Sport City in Latakia The kits include baby dia-pers underwear house cleaning items insecticides and the disability kits include wheel chairs and portable toilets for IDPs with limited mobility At the center IOM has installed 60 prefab accommoda-tion units (each unit accommodates 3 families) and 49 toilet and shower units 7000 IDPs will benefit from improved facilities and services once the repair and rehabilitation work being carried out by IOM is complete in early September

Ahmedrsquos Story

Ahmed (age 10)

Accommodation and toilet blocks were delivered to a col-lective Center in Latakia that accommodates over 5000 IDPs copy IOM 2013 (Photo IOM Syria)

4 IOM Situation Report ndash 29 August 2013

IRAQ OPERATIONS

Assistance to Syrian Refugees to reach Camps and Transit Sites from the Border Since 15 August IOM has arranged over 1500 trips to transport 37073 Syri-an refugees from Sehela and Peshkhabour border crossings to camps and transit sites in Dahuk Erbil and Sulaymaniyah The population of Syrian refugees in Iraq is now considered to be approximately 197000 IOM has transported refugees to Aarbad District camp Gawer Gosik camp Baharka temporary camp Kawa camp and Qushtapa town Harir Camp in Basrima Bekhme Dam area and Domiz Camp This influx of ref-ugees has been accommodated across 8 camps and communities in Dahuk Erbil and Sulaymaniyah Since 23 August IOM has erected 170 tents in Harir camp to accommodate approximately 850 Syrian ref-ugees IOM has deployed 16 ndash 18 staff to collect basic infor-mation from refugees travelling on IOM transport to create rough profiles on family demographics places of origin desired locations in Iraq and priority needs and services Refugees speaking with IOM staff report that thou-sands remain behind waiting to cross into Iraq Refu-gees most of whom have come from Aleppo Hasska-hes Qamishli and Efrin report that the conditions in Syria have deteriorated quickly in the past few months as fighting has intensified with shortages of food and a surge in the cost of basic commodities

Vulnerability and Needs Assessments in Ninewa From 18 to 25 August IOM in coordination with local authorities in Zumar sub-district assessed 50 families (420 individuals) to identify families eligible to receive NFI assistance Key findings indicate that all the fami-lies had entered Iraq in the last 3 months through the Sehela border crossing none of the families had regis-tered with UNHCR Most of the families were either renting accommodation or living in buildings still under construction without any basic services Few families had a regular source of income the majority of fami-lies rely on food assistance from the local community 11 of the 50 families are female-headed households and 36 families report at least one member with a dis-ability or chronic disease requiring treatment All the households assessed meet the vulnerability criteria and will receive NFI assistance from IOM

IOM provided 200 tents for newly arrived refugees in Harir camp copy IOM 2013 (Photo IOM Iraq)

A Syrian family from Al Hasaka They crossed into Iraq on 16 Au-gust after waiting to cross at the border for six days Now they are living in a building under construc-tion copy IOM 2013 (Photo IOM Iraq)

LEBANON OPERATIONS

IOM Situation Report ndash 29 August 2013 5

Challenges for Access and Implementing Activities Since 15 August IOM activities and operations in South Lebanon and Tripoli have been impacted by height-ened security measures following incidents in Tripoli and Southern Beirut Transit Assistance to stranded migrants and refugees accepted for resettlement from Syria The Govern-ment of Lebanon has suggested IOM establish an office at the Masnaa border crossing point since the Organi-zation maintains a presence at the Lebanese-Syrian border crossing point in Masnaa IOM operates a land-bridge between Damascus and Beirut since February 2013 to assist refugees accepted for resettlement from Syria and stranded migrants to transit through Leba-non and fly out of Rafic Hariri International Airport Since February 2013 4091 refugees and 510 stranded migrants were assisted by IOM to transit through Leba-non Resettlement Assistance to 5000 Syrian Refugees IOM is finalizing preparations for a charter flight for 124 Syrian refugees to Germany which is scheduled for 11 September 2013 These refugees who form part of the 5000 Syrian refugees accepted for resettlement to Germany are the first group to travel to Hanover IOM is providing these refugees with medical screening cultural orientation assistance to obtain travel docu-ments and resettlement transport Over the next 12 months IOM in coordination with the Government of Germany and UNHCR will assist 5000 Syrian refugees to be resettled to Germany Shelter Assistance to Vulnerable Syrian Refugee Households Nationwide shelter shortages continue to concern IOM and partners Since June 2013 in coordi-nation with the local municipalities IOM assessed

1620 households and identified 104 of the most vul-nerable Syrian refugee families across 8 villages in South Lebanon in need of rental assistance for six months On 23 August IOM distributed the first monthly installment to 40 households IOM is currently procuring shelter support and weather-proofing items for distribution before the onset of winter IOM will focus on distributing these items to refugees with spe-cial needs and those living in high-lying areas of the country affected by low temperatures snow and high rainfall during the winter months Rapid Health Assessment Findings The initial findings from an ongoing health needs assessment completed by an IOM emergency health response team indicate that there are gaps in health service coverage despite the multitude of health actors (both national and inter-national humanitarian actors) already working on the ground to support the existing national health care system The main gaps and constraints that have been identified are financial barriers geographical coverage gaps and health workforce constraints Health needs are on the increase across the country due to the con-tinuous influx of refugees and Lebanese returnees flee-ing Syria Certain areas such as Mount Lebanon re-main largely uncovered by health sector partners Non-Food Item (NFI) Distributions During the re-porting period IOM distributed 110 hygiene and digni-ty kits to 552 beneficiaries in Ghassaniyeh and El Merouaniye IOM has started the procurement of win-ter NFI items At the request of UNHCR IOM will focus distributions in areas in the North and the Bekaa areas which are not covered by partners IOM is planning to distribute 2900 kits for an estimated 14500 vulnera-ble beneficiaries

IOM is providing 104 vulnerable Syrian refugee families in South Lebanon with rental assistance for 6 months copy IOM 2013

4 IOM Situation Report ndash 29 August 2013

IRAQ OPERATIONS

Assistance to Syrian Refugees to reach Camps and Transit Sites from the Border Since 15 August IOM has arranged over 1500 trips to transport 37073 Syri-an refugees from Sehela and Peshkhabour border crossings to camps and transit sites in Dahuk Erbil and Sulaymaniyah The population of Syrian refugees in Iraq is now considered to be approximately 197000 IOM has transported refugees to Aarbad District camp Gawer Gosik camp Baharka temporary camp Kawa camp and Qushtapa town Harir Camp in Basrima Bekhme Dam area and Domiz Camp This influx of ref-ugees has been accommodated across 8 camps and communities in Dahuk Erbil and Sulaymaniyah Since 23 August IOM has erected 170 tents in Harir camp to accommodate approximately 850 Syrian ref-ugees IOM has deployed 16 ndash 18 staff to collect basic infor-mation from refugees travelling on IOM transport to create rough profiles on family demographics places of origin desired locations in Iraq and priority needs and services Refugees speaking with IOM staff report that thou-sands remain behind waiting to cross into Iraq Refu-gees most of whom have come from Aleppo Hasska-hes Qamishli and Efrin report that the conditions in Syria have deteriorated quickly in the past few months as fighting has intensified with shortages of food and a surge in the cost of basic commodities

Vulnerability and Needs Assessments in Ninewa From 18 to 25 August IOM in coordination with local authorities in Zumar sub-district assessed 50 families (420 individuals) to identify families eligible to receive NFI assistance Key findings indicate that all the fami-lies had entered Iraq in the last 3 months through the Sehela border crossing none of the families had regis-tered with UNHCR Most of the families were either renting accommodation or living in buildings still under construction without any basic services Few families had a regular source of income the majority of fami-lies rely on food assistance from the local community 11 of the 50 families are female-headed households and 36 families report at least one member with a dis-ability or chronic disease requiring treatment All the households assessed meet the vulnerability criteria and will receive NFI assistance from IOM

IOM provided 200 tents for newly arrived refugees in Harir camp copy IOM 2013 (Photo IOM Iraq)

A Syrian family from Al Hasaka They crossed into Iraq on 16 Au-gust after waiting to cross at the border for six days Now they are living in a building under construc-tion copy IOM 2013 (Photo IOM Iraq)

LEBANON OPERATIONS

IOM Situation Report ndash 29 August 2013 5

Challenges for Access and Implementing Activities Since 15 August IOM activities and operations in South Lebanon and Tripoli have been impacted by height-ened security measures following incidents in Tripoli and Southern Beirut Transit Assistance to stranded migrants and refugees accepted for resettlement from Syria The Govern-ment of Lebanon has suggested IOM establish an office at the Masnaa border crossing point since the Organi-zation maintains a presence at the Lebanese-Syrian border crossing point in Masnaa IOM operates a land-bridge between Damascus and Beirut since February 2013 to assist refugees accepted for resettlement from Syria and stranded migrants to transit through Leba-non and fly out of Rafic Hariri International Airport Since February 2013 4091 refugees and 510 stranded migrants were assisted by IOM to transit through Leba-non Resettlement Assistance to 5000 Syrian Refugees IOM is finalizing preparations for a charter flight for 124 Syrian refugees to Germany which is scheduled for 11 September 2013 These refugees who form part of the 5000 Syrian refugees accepted for resettlement to Germany are the first group to travel to Hanover IOM is providing these refugees with medical screening cultural orientation assistance to obtain travel docu-ments and resettlement transport Over the next 12 months IOM in coordination with the Government of Germany and UNHCR will assist 5000 Syrian refugees to be resettled to Germany Shelter Assistance to Vulnerable Syrian Refugee Households Nationwide shelter shortages continue to concern IOM and partners Since June 2013 in coordi-nation with the local municipalities IOM assessed

1620 households and identified 104 of the most vul-nerable Syrian refugee families across 8 villages in South Lebanon in need of rental assistance for six months On 23 August IOM distributed the first monthly installment to 40 households IOM is currently procuring shelter support and weather-proofing items for distribution before the onset of winter IOM will focus on distributing these items to refugees with spe-cial needs and those living in high-lying areas of the country affected by low temperatures snow and high rainfall during the winter months Rapid Health Assessment Findings The initial findings from an ongoing health needs assessment completed by an IOM emergency health response team indicate that there are gaps in health service coverage despite the multitude of health actors (both national and inter-national humanitarian actors) already working on the ground to support the existing national health care system The main gaps and constraints that have been identified are financial barriers geographical coverage gaps and health workforce constraints Health needs are on the increase across the country due to the con-tinuous influx of refugees and Lebanese returnees flee-ing Syria Certain areas such as Mount Lebanon re-main largely uncovered by health sector partners Non-Food Item (NFI) Distributions During the re-porting period IOM distributed 110 hygiene and digni-ty kits to 552 beneficiaries in Ghassaniyeh and El Merouaniye IOM has started the procurement of win-ter NFI items At the request of UNHCR IOM will focus distributions in areas in the North and the Bekaa areas which are not covered by partners IOM is planning to distribute 2900 kits for an estimated 14500 vulnera-ble beneficiaries

IOM is providing 104 vulnerable Syrian refugee families in South Lebanon with rental assistance for 6 months copy IOM 2013

LEBANON OPERATIONS

IOM Situation Report ndash 29 August 2013 5

Challenges for Access and Implementing Activities Since 15 August IOM activities and operations in South Lebanon and Tripoli have been impacted by height-ened security measures following incidents in Tripoli and Southern Beirut Transit Assistance to stranded migrants and refugees accepted for resettlement from Syria The Govern-ment of Lebanon has suggested IOM establish an office at the Masnaa border crossing point since the Organi-zation maintains a presence at the Lebanese-Syrian border crossing point in Masnaa IOM operates a land-bridge between Damascus and Beirut since February 2013 to assist refugees accepted for resettlement from Syria and stranded migrants to transit through Leba-non and fly out of Rafic Hariri International Airport Since February 2013 4091 refugees and 510 stranded migrants were assisted by IOM to transit through Leba-non Resettlement Assistance to 5000 Syrian Refugees IOM is finalizing preparations for a charter flight for 124 Syrian refugees to Germany which is scheduled for 11 September 2013 These refugees who form part of the 5000 Syrian refugees accepted for resettlement to Germany are the first group to travel to Hanover IOM is providing these refugees with medical screening cultural orientation assistance to obtain travel docu-ments and resettlement transport Over the next 12 months IOM in coordination with the Government of Germany and UNHCR will assist 5000 Syrian refugees to be resettled to Germany Shelter Assistance to Vulnerable Syrian Refugee Households Nationwide shelter shortages continue to concern IOM and partners Since June 2013 in coordi-nation with the local municipalities IOM assessed

1620 households and identified 104 of the most vul-nerable Syrian refugee families across 8 villages in South Lebanon in need of rental assistance for six months On 23 August IOM distributed the first monthly installment to 40 households IOM is currently procuring shelter support and weather-proofing items for distribution before the onset of winter IOM will focus on distributing these items to refugees with spe-cial needs and those living in high-lying areas of the country affected by low temperatures snow and high rainfall during the winter months Rapid Health Assessment Findings The initial findings from an ongoing health needs assessment completed by an IOM emergency health response team indicate that there are gaps in health service coverage despite the multitude of health actors (both national and inter-national humanitarian actors) already working on the ground to support the existing national health care system The main gaps and constraints that have been identified are financial barriers geographical coverage gaps and health workforce constraints Health needs are on the increase across the country due to the con-tinuous influx of refugees and Lebanese returnees flee-ing Syria Certain areas such as Mount Lebanon re-main largely uncovered by health sector partners Non-Food Item (NFI) Distributions During the re-porting period IOM distributed 110 hygiene and digni-ty kits to 552 beneficiaries in Ghassaniyeh and El Merouaniye IOM has started the procurement of win-ter NFI items At the request of UNHCR IOM will focus distributions in areas in the North and the Bekaa areas which are not covered by partners IOM is planning to distribute 2900 kits for an estimated 14500 vulnera-ble beneficiaries

IOM is providing 104 vulnerable Syrian refugee families in South Lebanon with rental assistance for 6 months copy IOM 2013

6 IOM Situation Report ndash 29 August 2013

Transportation for Syrian Refugees at Adiyaman camp

(1 July - 29 August 2013)

Reporting Week Total

pax

Male

Passengers

Female

Passengers

1 - 7 July 980 701 279

8 - 14 July 626 269 357

15 - 21 July 712 409 254

22 - 28 July 663 420 243

29 July - 4 August 568 288 280

5 - 11 August 377 252 125

12 - 18 August 643 378 265

19 - 25 August 679 407 272

Beneficiaries assisted 5248 3124 2075

IOM OPERATIONS IN TURKEY

Residents of Adiyaman camp wait in the shade for transport services organized by IOM and camp management 60 of all beneficiaries making use of this service are male copy IOM 2013 (Photo IOM Turkey)

Transportation services for residents of Adiyaman camp From 13 to 25 August IOM and partners have assisted 1269 Syrian nationals with transpor-tation services from Adiyaman camp to medical facilities and social service centers Since the begin-ning of the pilot project 5248 Syrian nationals benefitted from the transportation services in Adi-yaman camp On 22 August the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency of Turkey (AFAD) requested that IOM expand the project to other camps IOM will complete feasibility assess-ments in the coming weeks to determine where best to provide the intervention

Residents of Adiyaman camp make use of a transport service to and from health facilities and the market in Adiyaman city copy IOM 2013 (Photo IOM Turkey)

Emergency Transportation of Refugees 1454 Syrian refugees were transported from the Rabaarsquo al Sarhan Screening Center to Zarsquoatri camp during the reporting period (13 to 25 August) While this is double the number assisted during the previous reporting period the figures remain low with an average of 110 new arrivals per day As IOM teams routinely continue to medically screen all arrivals to Zarsquoatri camp they reported 45 individuals were identified with medical conditions which required immediate referral for treatment Since transport operations began in July 2012 IOM has transport-ed 333876 Syrian refugees from border areas to camps All new arrivals received refreshments hy-giene kits and shoes upon arrival at the IOM reception center in Zarsquoatri camp IOM distributes shoes as many refugees have lost theirs along the way or their shoes are worn out because they had to walk for many hours and sometimes days before reaching the border Contingency Planning During the reporting period IOM and partners met to formalize plans to receive a potential influx of Syrian refugees in the wake of the alleged chemical attack near Damascus last week Part-ners reviewed contingency plans for an estimated 30000 to 40000 new arrivals in the next two weeks From January to March 2013 IOM staff were trans-porting up to 3000 Syrian refugees in 24 hour shifts from the screening center in Rabarsquo al Sarhan to Zarsquoatri camp and the Emirates Jordanian Camp In the event that there is a surge in new arrivals from Syria IOM will deploy surge staff to provide transport for up to 5000 refugees within 24 hour shifts Partners have agreed that up to 20000 refugees could be accommodated in Zarsquoatri camp after which they will be transported by IOM to Azraq camp - which is currently under construc-tion and is estimated to have the capacity to host up to 50000 refugees IOM and partners are speeding up the construction of the camp in order to prepare to accommodate new arri-vals On 28 August IOM and partners met to revise the fig-ures for expected arrivals by the end of 2013 and to dis-cuss the most likely scenarios in preparation for the 6th Inter-Agency Regional Response Plan (RRP6)

On 21 August following reports of large numbers of Syrian casualties in areas near Damascus residents of Zarsquoatri camp imposed a 3-day mourning period and hu-manitarian partners were requested to stop all activities including visits and distributions IOM continued to transport refugees to the camp however health teams did not carry out TB screening in the camp during this 3-day period of mourning Raising Awareness on Human Trafficking On 21 Au-gust the Ministry of Planning and International Cooper-ation (MPOIC) endorsed an IOM counter-trafficking pro-gram lsquoAwareness Raising on Counter-trafficking for Syri-ans and Jordanians in Mafraq Cityrsquo This is the first coun-ter-trafficking intervention targeting Syrian refugees in Jordan The awareness raising campaign will run for 3 months and IOM plans to raise awareness amongst an estimated 5000 urban refugees and members of the host community in Mafraq - the city hosting the highest number of Syrian refugees in Jordan

0

50

100

150

200

Refugees Transported by IOM (13 - 27

August)

7 IOM Situation Report ndash 29 August 2013

IOM OPERATIONS IN JORDAN

CONTACTS Preparedness and Response Division | Mario Lito Malanca I PRDiomint Donor Relations Division | +41227179271 | DRDiomint

IOMrsquos activities are generously supported by

IOM Situation Report ndash 29 August 2013

8

CONTACTS Preparedness and Response Division | Mario Lito Malanca I PRDiomint Donor Relations Division | +41227179271 | DRDiomint

IOMrsquos activities are generously supported by

IOM Situation Report ndash 29 August 2013

8