ANNUAL IMPACT REPORT
Inside this Annual Impact Report 03 Letter from the President 04 2017 in Review 08 Emergency Response 09 Advocacy 10 Health & Nutrition 18 Protection, Empowerment & Education 24 Shelter & Non-Food Items (NFI) 28 Livelihoods EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Muneeza Tahir DESIGN: Rebekah Van Winkle CONTRIBUTORS: Mais Balkhi, Amany Qaddour, Dr. Jihad Qaddour, Muneeza Tahir
30 Food Security 31 Financial Activities
Dear Friends, As we welcome 2018 and a new year of hope, I want to thank you for your support of our work in 2017. I also ask for your continued support in 2018 as we tackle new challenges and work together toward sustainable solutions for Syria. As the conflict heads into its 8th year, the SRD family remains hopeful for a permanent peaceful solution to the violence in Syria. Our biggest hope each year is that our work can shift entirely to long-term sustainable development, that medical facilities and personnel will be safe from harm and that every Syrian man, woman and child will be able to live without the daily anxieties currently plaguing them. In this year’s Annual Impact Report, you’ll see how SRD programs, funded by you—our beloved donors and grantors—have made a significant impact on Syrian lives. Pay close attention to an area of focus for us in 2017: Women’s Empowerment. We are empowering women to participate fully in building a stronger Syrian society and, in turn, a brighter future for Syria. To support this empowerment, we educate Syrian men and boys, who play a major role in ensuring Syrian girls and women feel safe in their homes and communities, on
important protection issues such as human rights and gender equality. In 2017 we also launched our secondary and post-secondary education initiatives: International Rescue University (IRU) and Global High School (GHS), two institutions that provide advanced degrees and internationally-accredited diplomas to students in Idleb, Syria. Students who obtain a diploma from GHS are eligible to apply for admission at colleges and universities worldwide. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you immensely. All of the activities, achievements and stories of healing presented in this report are a result of your support. I would also like to wish you and your loved ones a joyous year ahead. And I ask that you keep our beneficiaries and staff in your positive thoughts and prayers as we embark on new challenges in 2018. Sincerely,
Dr. Jihad Qaddour President, SRD
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in
SRD
Syri
tion
of th
linke and
3,297,673 total beneficiaries to date
212
men
1,176,781 beneficiaries in the year 2017
beneficiaries by sector
4 | 2017 Annual Impact Report
n review
D participates in the global Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) for
ia, a framework enacted by the United Nations and partner organiza-
ns to strategically respond to the humanitarian and protection needs
he Syrian people. SRD’s programming adheres to the HRP’s inter-
ed goals of saving lives, alleviating suffering, enhancing protection, building resilience.
Protection
25,817 Food Security
2,401
n
Shelter
52,370
1,718
468,035 women
442,129 children
Health
1,031,030
Nutrition
16,594
Livelihoods
1,109
Non-Food Items (NFI)
48,143
Health
25
Primary Health Care Locations
15 Fixed Clinics 3 Mobile Clinics
Nutrition
16,594
+ Community Health Sites
7 Pharmaceutical
Distribution Sites
70
Sexual & Reproductive Health Locations
23
Trauma & Emergency Services
10 Fixed Clinics 60 Outreach Sites
2 Hospitals
21-Ambulance System
4 1
Maternity and Pediatric Hospitals Dialysis Clinic
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Beneficiaries
Protection
3
Community Training & Empowerment Centers + Mobile Protection Services
Shelter
202 10
Households Repaired Collective Centers Rehabilitated
Non-Food Items (NFI)
3,752 500
NFI Kits
Hygiene Kits
3,493
Children's Clothing Kits
3,220
Adult's Clothing Kits
1,000
Livelihoods
1,109
Beneficiaries
Food Security
514
Families Reached for Udhiyah Qurbani
100
Families Reached for Ramadan
Provided with Winterization Space Heaters & Fuel
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EMERGENCY RESPONSE
In December 2016, fighting between conflict parties escalated in then-besieged Aleppo and caused the evacuation of nearly 40,000 Syrians who were fleeing for safety, rendering them as internally-displaced persons (IDPs). Between December 2016 and February 2017, SRD staff in Northern Syria responded to the resulting humanitarian crisis, providing the following aid and services for new IDPs: 12 ambulance cars to transport the wounded and disabled to healthcare facilities; 3 mobile clinics to provide urgent first aid treatment; 1,000 stoves and jerry cans, and 40,000 liters of fuel, all to 1,000 newly-IDP families.
Khan Shaykun On April 4, 2017, 89 people—one third of whom were children—were killed in a chemical attack in Khan Shaykun, a town in Idleb, Syria. Hundreds were wounded and hospitals became overcrowded with the injured who were suffering from respiratory problems, unconsciousness, foamy oral secretions, vomiting, cardiac issues, muscle spasms and other neurological issues. SRD’s local healthcare facilities received 178 patients with injuries ranging from less severe to life-threatening, with women and children comprising the majority of patients received. The majority of patients were suffering from rapid respiratory collapse as a consequence of inhaling chemical gas. SRD staff set up a pre-treatment tent to clean patients who had been exposed to the gas to prevent contamination at the health facilities.
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SRD medical staff provided patients with the care and medications necessary for treating the effects of chemical gas exposure.
Eastern Ghouta 400,000 people are besieged in Eastern Ghouta where the humanitarian situation is dire with the impending winter season approaching. Only a small percentage of aid has been allowed to reach Eastern Ghouta’s population. According to UNICEF, nearly 12% of children in the area are suffering from acute malnutrition and the majority of households can only afford one meal per day, often consisting of boiled corn, cabbage, cauliflower or, in some cases, grass or waste. SRD is providing winter care kits—filled with warm clothing, food and heating fuel—to families in Eastern Ghouta.
ADVOCACY Since our founding, SRD has continued to advocate to domestic and international policy makers and the United Nations (UN) on pressing issues facing Syrian civil society, including protection for healthcare workers and safe corridors for civilians trapped amid fighting. We will continue advocating for the Syrian people, amplifying their voices, for as long as the conflict continues to devastatingly affect the country’s general population.
The Systematic Targeting of Healthcare Personnel and Facilities In April 2017, missiles targeting a surgical hospital killed 3 Syrians and wounded several others. On the same day, two more attacks targeted an ambulance system and a medical facility during evacuation, destroying the facility, 8 ambulances and killing 14 people, including 4 paramedics. The attacks were just a few in a long line of such attacks targeting healthcare personnel and medical facilities. According to Physicians for Human Rights (PHR), 485 medical facilities have been attacked in Syria since the start of the conflict, resulting in the deaths of 841 medical personnel.
SRD is involved in other advocacy efforts, including the following: Humanitarian access – ensuring delivery to hard to reach and besieged areas
Refugee advocacy – refugees should have the option to voluntarily return to their country of origin and not by force; they should have the right to seek refuge for as long as their safety is threatened Education advocacy – children and young adults should have unfettered access to education so there is #nolostgeneration
Chemical Weapons Attacks Since 2013 when multiple chemical gas attacks occurred in Aleppo, Idleb, and in the outskirts of Damascus, there has been at least 1 chemical attack reported every year in Syria, with the most recent occurring in Khan Shaykun in April 2017. These attacks create urgent, large-scale health crises that local health facilities are often unequipped to deal with. Obtaining much-needed medical equipment and medication becomes an overwhelming burden for healthcare providers trying to save the lives of the most vulnerable affected.
We will continue amplifying their voices
SRD's Advocacy and Outreach Manager, Mais Balkhi, speaks at the 2017 InterAction Forum. | photo: InterAction
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HEALTH & NUTRITION Health The conflict in Syria has led to a country-wide devastating healthcare crisis that has 2 important and connected components. The first is that healthcare facilities have been at the center of targeted airstrikes—from January to September 2017 there were 218 attacks on healthcare facilities in Syria, and 302 attacks occurred in the previous year. These combined attacks have resulted in nearly 600 deaths and over 730 injuries. The second component to the healthcare crisis is a result of the first: Syria is the most dangerous place on Earth to be a healthcare provider. Those who have not been killed, imprisoned, or had to flee for their family’s safety, are putting their own lives at risk to save the lives of others. As a result, the number of healthcare providers in Syria has reduced drastically over the past 7 years. This makes access to quality healthcare the greatest area of humanitarian need in the country. In the conflict’s early stages, SRD’s focus was on immediate first aid and trauma relief through Mobile Medical Points. Later, we established regional hospitals offering a variety of trauma, inpatient
and outpatient services. In response to the rise in morbidity and mortality rates due to a lack of quality primary and reproductive healthcare, SRD further-established both stand-alone and integrated primary and reproductive health clinics and an integrated focus on public health through community health programs that complement the multi-level healthcare network in place. SRD’s healthcare system operates on a holistic, preventative continuum of care, ensuring that each patient receives follow-up care and access to comprehensive services that address both the physical and mental well-being of each patient from the initial visit onwards. Without addressing health concerns on every level of the medical spectrum, neglected conditions affect other components of health and, ultimately, plague a once-thriving society. This has been the case with the shortage in physical therapy and rehabilitation programs, leading to mental health conditions such as depression, despondency and isolation from peers, requiring later intervention in the form of psychosocial support or advanced psychiatric care.
Syria is the most dangerous place on Earth to be a healthcare provider. Syria Relief and Development | 11
Providing comprehensive and specialized reproductive and pediatric healthcare Reproductive & Pediatric Health In 2017, SRD provided comprehensive reproductive and pediatric healthcare through numerous service sites including 10 Sexual and Reproductive (SRH) Care Clinics, 60 SRH Outreach Sites, and 4 Maternity and Pediatric Hospitals throughout Northern Syria. At the 10 SRH clinics, specialized reproductive and pediatric care—including OB/GYN, antenatal, postnatal, neonatal, labor and delivery, emergency obstetric, family planning and referral services—have made quality care easily accessible for women and children. Additionally, clinic staff members have been trained in the recognition, treatment and prevention of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV). At SRD’s 60 SRH Outreach Sites in Idleb and Aleppo, trained staff members conduct awareness sessions focusing on critical family planning issues including pregnancy, contraceptives (such as birth control pills, condoms and IUDs, all available on-site), breastfeeding, postnatal care, the recognition, treatment and prevention of SGBV, the prevention and treatment of Sexually-Transmitted Infections (STIs) and the promotion of routine OB/GYN visits. For added comfort and privacy, community members can request individual time with the instructors to discuss personal issues. And as part of the program’s informational outreach, a reproductive health publication, Balsam, that contains information on family planning, pregnancy and motherhood, is produced in Arabic and widely distributed in local communities. SRD’s 4 Maternity and Pediatric Hospitals provide specialized care through OB/GYN services in addition to labor and delivery, antenatal, natal and postnatal care and lactation support. Staff members are also trained in the Integrated Manage-
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ment of Neonatal and Childhood Illnesses (IMNCI), Basic Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (BEmONC) and Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (CEmONC). The hospitals receive women and children with a wide range of needs and use a comprehensive, holistic approach to addressing each patient’s individual needs. Many of the women are conflict-affected and a central part of care remains the recognition, treatment and prevention of SGBV and, in some cases, the Clinical Management of Rape (CMR).
Primary HealthCare SRD’s Primary Healthcare (PHC) services extend to men, women and children alike through 15 fixed and 3 mobile health clinics that emphasize the prevention and management of acute and chronic conditions, in addition to 7 pharmaceutical distribution sites. Primary healthcare facilities offer a wide range of services, which are listed in the chart to the right.
SRD’s healthcare system ensures that each patient receives follow-up care and access to comprehensive services that address both the physical and mental well-being of each patient from the initial visit onwards.
Primary Healthcare (PHC) Services We Offer Our Patients Outpatient Delivery Services (OPD) – same-day services that include consultations and follow-up visits with primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare providers offered to the patient.
Immunization Services – services that must be offered to children to ensure immunity and resistance to infectious diseases. SRD has committed to providing immunizations—such as Measles, Polio, Rubella, Hepatitis, Tetanus Vaccine, and others—at its facilities or ensure referral pathways in coordination with other immunization bodies in line with the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations and guidelines. Communicable Diseases (CD) Management – poverty, collapsed
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) systems, crowded living spaces, poor health and hygiene education and an overall lack of PHC services available in communities have increased the prevalence of CDs in Syria. Given their severe implications and consequences if left untreated, contagious nature and ability to transform into an epidemic in a short amount of time, the CDs that SRD has prioritized through prevention, diagnosis and treatment include Leishmaniasis, Cholera, Measles, Tuberculosis, Upper/Lower Respiratory Infections (RTI), Acute and Watery Diarrhea and Sexually-Transmitted Infections (STI).
Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) Management – SRD is focused on the pre-
vention, diagnosis and treatment of NCDs which are chronic in nature, or long-term and slow to progress. The 4 main types of NCDs are cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancers and respiratory diseases.
Other Services –
Nutrition and Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) Reproductive Health (RH) Hygiene Promotion Psychosocial Support Services (PSS)
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Trauma & Emergency Health SRD’s Trauma and Emergency Hospitals in Northern Syria, situated in Aleppo and Idleb, are vital life-saving facilities that play an integral role in SRD’s healthcare programs: they are our longest-running healthcare facilities and serve as referral points for follow-up care in local clinics, many of which are also part of our healthcare network. Both hospitals provide trauma, emergency services, and health services in a range of specialties as part of their outpatient and inpatient services. The locations of the two facilities reduce hurdles in accessing free quality healthcare in Northern Syria. Aleppo Hospital has been hit by aerial strikes several times since 2013, but its staff has persevered each time and continued to provide essential life-saving services at great risk to staff members. The hospital provides essential services in internal medicine, pediatrics, general, orthopedic and vascular surgery, OB/GYN, urology, ear, nose and throat (ENT), psychiatric care and other vital components of critical care. Aleppo Hospital also pro-
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vides trauma care to internally-displaced persons (IDPs) and host communities in Northern Syria in the western countryside of Aleppo, making healthcare more accessible to people who would otherwise have been forced to travel toward the Turkish border in search of quality care. Idleb Hospital is a life-saving facility for civilians deprived of healthcare options as aerial bombardments have destroyed many medical facilities in the region since the conflict began. The hospital offers services in inpatient and outpatient care, ENT, internal medicine and orthopedic and general surgery. Idleb Hospital also has a Radiology Department to perform x-rays, CT scans and Doppler Ultrasound procedures. Trauma and emergency healthcare is also provided through SRD’s 21 Ambulance System, a network of ambulances in Northern Syria that ensure access to emergency healthcare and trauma services region-wide. The network provides patients in critical emergency care with transportation to
trauma facilities while Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) provide life-sustaining treatment during transport.
Abdullah
Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Injuries sustained during conflict often include those that require follow-up rehabilitative care. In 2013, SRD established rehabilitation services to meet the demand for such care. SRD’s rehabilitative services include a Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Clinic housed within one of our Primary Health Care Clinics, which also houses an internally operating Dialysis Unit. The Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Clinic consists of the following specialized rehabilitative departments for adults and children: musculoskeletal injuries, cerebral palsy, amputation cases, brain/spinal injuries and burn wounds. In addition to these, the clinic also provides speech and hearing therapy, treatment for congenital abnormalities and deformities and the creation of splints and casts for injuries. The Dialysis Unit provides dialysis service, a life-saving treatment that prevents the build-up of waste, salt and extra water in the body by removing them. With a shortage of access to treat two of the leading causes of kidney failure—diabetes and high blood pressure—in Syria, SRD has recognized the priority of maintaining dialysis service at our health clinic.
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year-old Abdullah visited our Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Clinic with spinal trauma from a car accident that caused fractures in his fourth and fifth lumbar vertebrae and resulted in paralysis and edema. He was also suffering from bladder issues and required catheterization. After a month and a half of intensive rehabilitation at our clinic, Abdullah was able to walk again. We removed the catheterization and, as a result, his psychological condition improved as well.
Nutrition Malnutrition has remained a major concern— especially among pregnant women, newborns, infants and young children—throughout the Syrian crisis. High levels of food insecurity in the country, due to agricultural damages in the destruction of crops and livestock and escalating food prices, have put pregnant and breastfeeding women at high risk, increasing the rate of birth defects among newborns and stunting childhood development. SRD has contributed to establishing greater food
security in Syria since the organization’s inception in 2011, and since 2016 we have also instituted holistic nutritional programming targeting young developing children. We are addressing nutritional gaps through preventative and curative practices with a focus on both indigenous and IDP communities who are living in unstable conditions with limited means to sustainable income. SRD’s nutrition programs assist pregnant and lactating women, young women and girls who were married early and children under the age of 5, all Syria Relief and Development | 15
of whom are vulnerable groups in need of priority assistance. We have teamed up with medical workers—including doctors, midwives and nurses based at medical points and facilities serving displaced populations and other communities in need—to train them in best practices for assisting the identified vulnerable groups. Our nutrition interventions aim to educate and raise awareness at the household and community levels to ensure a high level of impact for such an urgent issue.
Nutrition in Northern Syria: A Holistic Health Approach In Northern Syria, acute malnutrition, poor Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) knowledge and practices, micronutrient deficiencies and inadequate access to basic services such as food, health, water and sanitation are extremely prevalent. SRD’s Nutrition Health Services in Northern Syria have been integrated into our health network— specifically our Maternity and Pediatric Hospitals that offer, as part of their services, nutritional
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counseling and IYCF consultations that provide education and support for breastfeeding to help encourage pregnant and lactating mothers to breastfeed their children, and our 3 Primary Mobile Health Clinics & Community Health Sites that also offer IYCF consultations and Nutrition services for women and children. In December 2016, SRD established a Nutrition IYCF campaign targeting pregnant and lactating women and mothers of children under age 2 to raise awareness on the disadvantages of feeding infants milk-based formulas.
Nutrition in Southern Syria: Promoting IYCF in IDP camps In 2017, SRD continued implementing the Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) program, one of the first community health nutrition initiatives in Southern Syria and first established by us in 2016 to empower women of reproductive age. The program seeks out pregnant and lactating women— many of whom are living as IDPs and vulnerable to food insecurity—to equip them with breastfeeding
and nutrition knowledge that can enhance the well-being of their children and mitigate negative coping strategies that may harm them. The women receive counseling on the values of breastfeeding, a natural practice that presents numerous advantages in emergency settings, including: delivery of all necessary nutrients to children under 5, enhancement of childhood immunity, and decreasing the need for harmful breast milk alternatives that increase the potential for consuming contaminated water. SRD’s Community Health Supervisor led a team of trained community health workers on IYCF and the best ways to communicate medical information to households. Aided by educational materials and breastfeeding kits, the health workers engaged Syrian women in critical conversations about the lifesaving and life-sustaining potential of simple health practices such as breastfeeding. The health workers formed ongoing relationships with beneficiaries and communities at large by reaching them in their homes, with the goal of overcoming barriers to access the services needed to enhance the health and well-being of Syrians.
Health workers engaged Syrian women in critical conversations about the lifesaving and life-sustaining potential of simple health practices such as breastfeeding.
Fadia & Ehab
F
or the first 5 months of his life, Fadia Ayyash exclusively breastfeed her son, Ehab. But when her milk supply decreased, Fadia introduced Ehab to formula. Ehab soon began getting sick with chronic diarrhea and stopped gaining weight. A visit to the doctor led Fadia to switch Ehab’s formula with another, but his health still didn’t improve. Fadia was accepted as a community educator trainee in SRD’s Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) program. During her training, she learned that issues with water, sanitation, and hygiene were making formula a less-safe nutritional option. She also learned how women who had stopped breastfeeding could slowly restart the process. The education helped Fadia restart the breastfeeding process with Ehab. While it took some time, once Ehab was back to breastfeeding regularly, he no longer suffered from diarrhea and his health improved.
Jorry
J
orry was 10 months old when a doctor found that her weight, height and girth measured the equivalent of a 5 month old child and she was diagnosed with malnutrition. Jorry was accepted into SRD’s outpatient therapeutic program to address childhood nutritional deficiencies. She received fortified nutritional supplementation in addition to continued breastfeeding to encourage positive growth. After 3 months, her health significantly improved, as did her appetite, and she is still receiving treatment to keep her on the right track. Her weight, height and girth indicators all showed signs of improvement and she is still receiving treatment to keep her on the right track. Syria Relief and Development | 17
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PROTECTION,
EMPOWERMENT, & EDUCATION Protection Conflict has rendered the vast majority of Syrian men, women, and children vulnerable and in dire need of protection programs. Syrians rely heavily on aid to meet their basic needs amid the conflict. They also face critical issues that demand addressing: child labor and recruitment, domestic violence, exploitation, forced or early marriage, sexual violence and more. Including protection elements that address these needs and vulnerable individuals’ physical and psychosocial needs within aid programming is essential. The most vulnerable populations in need of protection are women—who are more likely to undergo sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV)—and children, who are more likely to be
targeted for physical or sexual abuse, kidnapping, or have their social and psychosocial needs neglected, as their young minds attempt to cope with the traumas of war.
SRD's Protection Programs While rehabilitating shelters for families in Northern Syria, our staff provided protection awareness trainings to recipient families. The trainings involved educating communities about human rights, hygiene and health promotion and the importance of maintaining healthy interpersonal relationships. SRD staff emphasized the need for gender equality, shared decision-making among
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men and women in families, early marriage prevention, family planning decisions and respect towards oneself and others. In Idleb, SRD has established comprehensive protection services—including outreach, case management, psychosocial support services and referral pathways—that both incorporate the community and serve the community through the development and implementation of these services. Some of the activities include developing community protection boards that help identify cases of vulnerability, abuse and exploitation, all of which are referred to and assisted in existing
facilities. Vulnerable community members who have received empowerment sessions—series of trainings that provide protection knowledge and skills, including training in midwifery, psychological first aid, psychosocial awareness raising and SGBV prevention—have included community women, some of whom have been SGBV survivors in need of psychosocial support. Protection services have also been integrated into our health network through mobile clinics and reproductive health centers. The healthcare facilities provide protection assistance and psychosocial support, among other essential services, to vulnerable displaced persons in Northern Syria. The reproductive health center staff is trained to support and manage care for SGBV survivors in efforts to prevent further exploitation and help provide coping mechanisms and awareness for survivors and the community.
The most vulnerable populations in need are women and children 20 | 2017 Annual Impact Report
Empowerment SRD has responded to the protection needs of Syrian women and girls through 3 Community Training & Empowerment Centers and Mobile Protection Services. The centers have become a central hub for women interested in education, training, and psychosocial support. The psychosocial support activities offered at the centers include recreational activities and individual and group support sessions. Recreational activities include painting sessions for young girls and carry a psychosocial component where subject-matters are designed to inspire dialogue on traumatic events. Individual and group support provide sessions in relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, developing problem-solving skills, anger management tactics, preventing child marriage, developing leadership skills, and encouraging physical and social activities.
violence, sexual abuse, and gender-based violence and provide them with safe spaces and risk mitigation in case safety plans are needed. The women can also choose to engage in education and skills-based training in sewing, knitting, computers, language skills, and cosmetology. Many have gone on to use their skills in providing for themselves and their families.
Salwa Badawi
Many of the women who attend the centers are sole providers or those in difficult family situations. The centers have treated women suffering from mental abuse, forced marriage, domestic
S
alwa Badawi is a 60 year-old former teacher who helps care for her 4 grandchildren. Salwa wanted to learn sewing to use both in her daily life and as a potential source of earning income. She heard about SRD’s empowerment center from her daughter who was attending the center and training to become a hairdresser. Salwa enrolled and learned basic sewing skills to help in her daily life. With additional time and practice, Salwa may be able to advance her skills and earn additional income as a seamstress.
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Education Since the conflict began in Syria, the country’s education system has taken a major hit: many schools and universities have either closed or been destroyed by bombardment. Informal schooling has allowed some access to learning for young children. But for older students who will be Syria’s next generation of doctors, nurses, engineers, computer programmers, and make up the country’s professional workforce, there is little access to formal education and training. SRD believes in education as a fundamental human right. It also creates a better future and economic prosperity by training the next generation of skilled professionals, through peace-building, providing life-sustaining and income-generating opportuni-
ties for individuals and families, and also by preventing youth from becoming disenfranchised and susceptible to recruitment by extremist groups. To address the need for more education and training in Syria and to simultaneously address the needs of women interested in developing skills to help provide for their families, SRD has also incorporated education and skills-based training opportunities for women through our Empowerment Centers for Women and Girls in Northern Syria. At the centers, women are offered courses in sewing, knitting, computers, language skills, and cosmetology in order to gain opportunities for livelihood and work toward a return to normalcy in a safe space with access to trained social workers who also offer private psychosocial support sessions.
SRD believes in education as a fundamental human right
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We are also providing women in remote, hard-to-reach communities in Syria with training in midwifery to help reduce the rates of maternal and
newborn morbidity and mortality and help communities better thrive.
Higher Education To address the needs of young adults interested in obtaining high school diplomas and college degrees, SRD has established Global High School (GHS) and the International Rescue University (IRU).
Global High School (GHS) – GHS provides
online internationally-accredited high school diplomas that allow graduates to apply for undergraduate study at schools worldwide. GHS has a network of faculty and staff who ensure every student is given the opportunity to academically succeed. The curriculum is heavily focused on development students’ English composition and writing skills to prepare them for studies at accredited schools worldwide.
International Rescue University (IRU) – As a
number of colleges and universities began to close amid the Syrian conflict, many students had to halt their studies. IRU was developed in response to this tremendous need for higher education. The university offers degrees in business, engineering, computer science and networking, dental prosthesis, education, English, Turkish, journalism and media, and nursing.
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SHELTER & NON-FOOD ITEMS (NFI) Shelter Around 1.2 million houses in Syria have been damaged since the start of the conflict, and 400,000 of those have been completely destroyed and are uninhabitable. As a result of this and ongoing fighting, millions of Syrians have fled their homes and are living as internally displaced persons (IDPs). IDPs take refuge in a variety of places: in ideal situations, fully operational, aid-sufficient collective shelters in schools, buildings, hospitals, or mosques. But of Syria’s 6.1 million IDPs, only 1.7 million are estimated to live in these collective shelters leaving over 70% of Syrian IDPs without access to adequate shelter. And as fighting within the country continues, the need for adequate shelter only increases. In addition to the physical damages, the emotional and psychological tolls of the crisis have created irreparable wounds and scars in millions
Ahmad Issa
"O
n August 31, 2017, a day when many across Syria were celebrating the beginning of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, Aleppo came under heavy bombardment. The psychological impact on women, children, and the elderly was devastating to witness. I cannot describe the amount of fear they felt. As a result, we were displaced for the safety of our families, waiting until it was safe for us to return to our homes. SRD immediately began implementing rehabilitation work in the area to provide adequate shelter and shelter rehabilitation for the displaced families. SRD’s work greatly improved the area and, as a result, our children now have a safe place to freely play and move about. The area essentially went from a ghost town to a lively one." - Ahmad Issa, Aleppo
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of Syrians. This level of trauma is the result of a long-standing crisis, and therefore requires the utmost attention in the form of protection support. With no end in sight to Syria’s conflict and escalating humanitarian crisis, it’s essential to provide holistic support to these vulnerable individuals and communities at large. In Northern Syria, we provided shelter, Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) well rehabilitation and health assistance in Aleppo where a large number of IDPs and indigenous communities have been living in makeshift homes and shelters. The project was started to provide a higher and healthier living standard in the area and to better integrate IDPs with the local
population. WASH support included rehabilitating water and sewage and sanitation systems for schools and neighborhoods and providing locals with the tools needed to maintain the repaired systems. We also provided capacity-building and empowering workshops for local communities.
Non-food items (NFI) Since SRD’s founding in 2011, NFI programming has been a staple programmatic sector of aid distribution for us, whether through a stand-alone project or, more often, integrated in projects that also implement programming from other sectors such as Health, Protection and Shelter.
Solar Panels Solar panels are used as a renewable energy source for homes during shelter construction and rehabilitation as well as at SRD’s operational facilities in Syria. The panels provide energy during frequent power outages and SRD staff members train local communities on the panels’ safe usage and maintenance. With unreliable electricity in Syria, energy has become a scarce resource and solar panels provide much-needed renewable energy that can be life-saving when installed at health care sites or other locations that provide much needed services. One significant use for solar panels has been at SRD’s healthcare facilities. Thanks to the support of Filmmaker Iara Lee, Founder/Director of the Cultures of
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Resistance Network and a constant champion for the Syrian people, solar panels were installed at our Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Clinic, one of SRD’s Empowerment Centers for Women and Girls, and 5 Primary Healthcare Centers in Northern Syria.
Teddy Bear Distributions For the past 3 years SRD has partnered with The Teddy Trust to deliver teddy bears to vulnerable Syrian children. The Teddy Trust is a UK-based nonprofit organization whose founder, Ellie Targett, reached out to SRD in 2015 after spending 2 years collecting teddy bears for children in hospitals, hospices, homes, and rape crisis centers in South Africa. Since 2015, the organization has sent SRD over 35,000 teddy bears that have been distributed to conflict-affected Syrian children across the country. For children who may find it difficult to communicate with others about their fears, the teddy bears provide a source of healing. SRD is hopeful in continuing to partner with The Teddy Trust in the years to come to continue providing healing to Syrian children.
Additional NFIs provided by SRD: Hygiene Kits – may include soap, deter-
gent, shampoo, toothbrushes, toothpaste, diapers and dignity kits (i.e. sanitary napkins)
Winterization Kits – include blankets,
mattresses, thermal clothing, coats, rugs, heating fuel, charcoal/firewood and heating units (sobas/space heaters)
Kitchen Kits – include household items
such as cookware, dinnerware, utensils, and cooking fuel
Vouchers – allow beneficiaries to acquire
items they need from designated vendors who will accept the vouchers as payment and receive reimbursement from SRD
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LIVELIHOODS In 6 years of ongoing conflict, Syria’s economic situation has deteriorated and created diminishing economic, physical and psychological resilience. The deterioration of social service infrastructure, depletion of markets, and rise in poverty and unemployment have greatly minimized income generating opportunities. An estimated 69% of Syrians are living in extreme poverty, surviving on less than $2 per day. And household food insecurity has been exacerbated by the 40% decline since 2012 in land under cultivation. In 2017, SRD implemented a capacity-building project to support both the Livelihoods and Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) needs of farmers and local communities in Southern Syria through the rehabilitation of wells. Farmers were provided with seeds, tools and operational support to help them better achieve sustainable income. Vulnerable households received assistance in establishing kitchen gardens to grow their own food and information on good nutritional practices. SRD also rehabilitated a damaged water irrigation network and conducted workshops for local community council members in irrigation management, budgeting, and finance, in addition to integrated protection education on humanitarian principles and human rights. In an effort to reduce economic vulnerability, provide livelihoods support, and increase the resilience of households in Southern Syria, SRD implemented a pickling project in 2017. Through this project, we helped women in Daraa produce quality nutritious food in the form of pickled seasonal vegetables, provided the women with business training, and also helped them establish connections with local marketplaces where they could sell their produce.
Um Ayham
U
m Ayham is a widow with two young children. As her family’s primary breadwinner, Um Ayham took up farming to generate income but she spent the days away from her children only to earn a meager salary that didn’t help the family make ends meet. Um Ayham attended SRD’s pickling workshop. After receiving training on setting up her own business, Um Ayham earned extra income that allowed her to prepare her home for the upcoming winter by purchasing supplies and heaters. The income will also help her supplement her reduced farming income during the winter months. She believes projects that provide livelihoods support are essential in empowering women and leading them to sustainable income. She described the workshop as a gift from God and also appreciated the support and collaboration with other women in similar situations as her.
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FOOD
SECURITY Food Security programming has been a continuous sector of operation for SRD, both as stand-alone projects and also integrated into projects with other sectors, including Health, Nutrition, and NFI. SRD’s food security programming seeks to ensure optimal health, growth and development for families, most importantly children, by addressing Syrians’ urgent need for basic necessities and access to quality, nutritious food. Since the conflict in Syria began, both the cost and availability of food in the country have created a scarcity for Syrians who live in areas where food is either unattainable or unafford-
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able. In besieged areas, the situation is even more desperate. SRD’s food security programs have consisted of food banks in the form of iftars (evening meals) during Ramadan, so Syrians don’t have to worry about where to obtain their evening meals from after day-long fasts. In addition, we also conduct Udhiyah Qurbani meat distributions in line with traditional customs. Many Syrian families don’t eat meat as the high costs of livestock and its products make it unattainable for many. The Qurbani meat distributions provide local, nourishing food for Syrian families who face food insecurity on a daily basis. SRD also provides food kits to families along with winterization kits during NFI distributions, including in besieged Eastern Ghouta.
FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES Fiscal Year 2017 Support & Revenue
TOTAL AID DISTRIBUTED in Syria to date:
Grants
11,930,108
Gift-in-Kind Contributions
3,913,556
Individual Contributions
649,432
TOTAL SUPPORT & REVENUE $16,493,096
$48,927,374
Fiscal Responsibility
Expenses Program Services Health & Nutrition
10,690,479
Protection 716,818 Shelter/NFI 1,215,166 Food Security & Livelihoods 1,559,047 Total Program Services
14,181,509
Supporting Services Administrative Fundraising Other Expenses Total Supporting Services
390,992 34,901 161,032
96.03% Programs
0.24% Fundraising
2.65% Administrative
1.09% Other Expenses
586,924
TOTAL EXPENSES
$14,768,433
Net Income
$ 1,724,663 Syria Relief and Development | 31
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SRD.ngo info@SRD.ngo SyriaReliefandDevelopment SyriaRandD (913) 438-9990 Tax ID 45-3737015
We are proud to be a member of: American Relief Coalition for Syria (ARCS) Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Crisis Action InterAction Syrian INGO Regional Forum (SIRF) Syrian National Alliance (SNA)