REBUILDING PERSPECTIVES · The civil war in Syria has brought forth the highest number of refugees since World War II. More than 11 million people have been forced to leave their

REBUILDINGPERSPECTIVES

Strengthening host communities in the midst of the Syrian refugee crisis

The civil war in Syria has brought forth the highest number of refugees since World War II. More than 11 million people have been forced to leave their homes. Many have found safety in neighboring countries, with an estimated 2.8 million people settling in Lebanon and Jordan.

SYRIA

Aleppo

Damascus

Beirut

Amman

LEBANON

JORDAN

REBUILDING PERSPECTIVES VNG INTERNATIONAL2 3

From rented apartments for the relatively well-off to makeshift tent camps at the edges of towns – this sudden influx of refugees has caused immense strains on public service delivery and economic opportunities in Jordanian and Lebanese communities. Social tensions have also increased.

VNG International works to improve the quality of life of Syrian refugees and the citizens of their host communities in these hard-hit countries.



With the passing of time, the line between temporary and permanent is becoming increasingly unclear. Shelter settlements are also beginning to house makeshift playing fields, prayer and meeting halls, and shops of all kinds.


Much traditional relief aid is directly provided to communities, bypassing locally-mandated institutions. While effective on the short term, this approach ignores local governments, which are the primary caretakers of many public services – and the first responders when citizens complain and tensions rise.

And then, when relief agencies leave, they often take with them the organizational structures that maintain their work. Without the proper transfer of ownership to local governments, this leads to continued dependency and decreased sustainability.

VNG International works peer-to-peer. Dutch municipal experts work directly with their counterparts in Lebanon and Jordan. By working on-site, they create viable and lasting solutions that work – and last. This is hands-on support, on a municipal level. So the projects meet local needs, and carry on into the future with the help of local experts who understand their community and the needs of the people they serve.

Directly targeting the capacity of local governments – and identifying a community’s change agents – facilitates more accountable, efficient and effective governance that is more sensitive to the needs of the disenfranchised, including refugee women, children and the elderly.

The mayor of the Lebanese town of Qaraoun (right) listening to the complaints of a Syrian camp elder (left).


Experts from VNG International and the Dutch cities of Almere, Amsterdam and The Hague work on-site with communities in Jordan and Lebanon.


When the first Syrian refugees fled to Jordan and Lebanon in 2011, they had hoped for a short stay – and a swift end to the violence at home.


In 2018, hope for return remains, but the war in Syria rages on. So, many Syrians are still forced to live their lives far from home.


Increased social harmony in public spaces.Greater economic opportunities for refugees and local citizens. VNG International’s interventions are designed to extend beyond immediate help – and meet long-term needs as well.

This approach is based on our belief that protracted refugee crises necessitate improving and maintaining future-proof services. This is an ever-changing situation, wrought with uncertainty. So instead of trying to plan certainty, we assist local governments in planning for uncertainty.

Some regions saw a doubling or even tripling of population due to the influx of refugees.Traditional methods of waste disposal are not the proper answer.


From mountains of waste to landfilling: our first response is to handle waste that has already accumulated, in locations that need it most.


We always work towards achieving Zero Waste regions, whether or not these communities continue to host refugees.


At the core of VNG International’s interventions is urban space. Camps share many characteristics with cities – and around 85% of refugees in Lebanon and Jordan are hosted outside of formalized camp structures and in urban contexts.

Refugees have become an integral – but not integrated – part of daily life in host communities, as refugees also rely on the same basic services as the local citizens, including waste and sewerage, electricity, roads and transport, and public spaces.



However, the opposite is more often true. New perspectives can be created by planning ahead and building for uncertainty. And by addressing the needs of refugees and host communities alike.

The path towards building more resilient communities starts with a direct pay-off in public health and environmental benefits – combined with increased economic activity and the long-term sustainability of governance.

First and foremost, rebuilding perspectives means acknowledging that all refugees and host communities deal with great uncertainty about their immediate futures. Lives are put on hold, based on the hope that the refugee crisis will be short-lived.


REBUILDING PERSPECTIVES VNG INTERNATIONAL30

This publication was made possible by the Local Government Resilience Programme (LOGOReP). VNG International leads the LOGOReP in areas dealing with the current Syrian refugee crisis, especially Jordan and Lebanon. The LOGOReP Jordan Country Programme works in close cooperation with the City of Amsterdam. The LOGOReP Lebanon Country Programme works in closecooperation with the Cities of Almere and The Hague. This programme is financed by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

We especially acknowledge the many municipal and non-municipal experts who have worked tirelessly with us since the start of LOGOReP in 2015. Their efforts to improve the lives of Syrians, Jordanians and the Lebanese are a true inspiration.

For design, we are grateful to Flowdesign and for editing, Claire Taylor. VNG International, The HagueJanuary 2018

WE’RE NOT HERE TO TELL THEM WHAT TO DO. WE’RE HERE AS COLLEAGUES. TOGETHER, WE THINK UP SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS.HENRY TERLOUWPOLICY OFFICER & LOGOREP EXPERT FROM THE HAGUE MUNICIPALITY

Documents

REBUILDING PERSPECTIVES · The civil war in Syria has brought forth the highest number of refugees since World War II. More than 11 million people have been forced to leave their