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British Government in partnership with the Danish Refugee Council

by Danish Refugee Council | Danish Refugee Council (DRC) - Denmark
Monday, 20 October 2014 10:44 GMT

Photo by: Jesper Guhle

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* Any views expressed in this article are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.

 

The British Government, already a key humanitarian actor in the Syrian crisis, has further increased its engagement through a two-year partnership with the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) in Syria and Lebanon. £21 million will ensure vital emergency relief operations during this two-year period.

The conflict in Syria has had devastating effects throughout the region, with almost ten million Syrians or nearly half of the population displaced. The partnership between the UK Department for International Development (DFID)and DRC will ensure a vital and positive difference for these conflict affected persons in both Syrian and Lebanon.

“The partnership confirms the British Government’s recognition of a grave humanitarian situation on the ground. In Lebanon there is hardly an inch of shelter that remains unoccupied and we see refugees living in desperate conditions that range from overcrowded and overprized rental flats to abandoned buildings, informal tented settlements and even in the streets” says Regional Director for DRC in MENA, Peter Klansoe. He continues: “In Syria itself millions of people are in need of basic emergency relief items such as clothes, blankets, hygiene kits and kitchen sets – these are the needs we will strive to meet.”

The conflict in Syria has entered its fourth year and millions of refugees and displaced people have exhausted all their resources. At the same time hosting communities in neighboring countries such as Lebanon are stretched beyond their limits.

“The majority of Syrian displaced have been forced to flee a number of times since the beginning of the war inside Syriaas well as across borders in the region. They have lost family members, homes and property. At the same time the hosting countries are under pressure. Even though they have taken on huge responsibility, it is becoming increasingly difficult for a country of four million people like Lebanon to ensure shelter and aid to more than one million Syrian refugees. There is a serious need for increased international assistance to prevent social tensions from becoming a real issue,” says Peter Klansoe.

The Danish Refugee Council has 17 offices and more than a thousand staff members across the Middle East. “Through a regional presence, established local networks, proven logistics and experienced staff we have the capacity to support large scale emergency relief operations. This funding from the British Government enables us to further increase our outreach. However, the needs will still exceed the humanitarian capacity and further engagement from the international community is needed in the region,” says Peter Klansoe.

DRC is currently cooperating with UK’s Department for International Development providing emergency aid for Syrian displaced in Jordan, Turkey and Iraq.

Over the next two years the partnership with DFID will benefit hundreds of thousands of displaced persons and members of host communities in both Syria and Lebanon. This will include the delivery of essential non-food items (such as cooking sets, mattresses, and blankets), the provision of vital shelter, improved access to clean water and sanitation facilities, and increased socio-economic independence through skills development and livelihoods projects. £6 million has already been allocated to DRC and the future allocations are dependent on performance, context and need, as is standard practise for DFID.

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