Switzerland – IOM, in coordination with the UN, is appealing for USD 95 million to continue to provide life-saving emergency aid inside Syria and in neighbouring countries through year end.

 The appeal, launched today, is seeking USD 41 million for projects inside Syria, including the provision of desperately needed non-food relief items and shelter for internally displaced families, displacement tracking and the on-going emergency repatriation of stranded migrant workers.

Some USD 13 million will go towards non-food relief items for 500,000 people and USD 10 million towards the repair of collective shelters, shelter kits and cash grants for some 87,500 internally displaced people (IDPs).

Another USD 8 million will provide protection and community services for conflict-affected Syrians and emergency evacuation for up to 4,500 stranded, vulnerable migrants. IOM has already helped over 3,400 migrant workers to return home from Syria. Many were Filipina domestic helpers.

Some USD 4 million will go towards income generation schemes to help the most vulnerable IDPs, particularly female-headed households and a further USD 4 million will go towards training local NGO partners, displacement tracking and information management.

The remaining USD 2 million will go towards primary health care and medical referrals for some 50,000 conflict-affected people.  

An estimated 6.8 million Syrians – or a third of the population – are thought to be in need of aid and, of these, an estimated 4.25 million are thought to have been internally displaced by the war.

The appeal calls for another USD 54 million to fund projects in neighbouring countries, including emergency transportation for refugees from the border to camps, essential non-food relief items, shelter and health care for people fleeing the conflict.

Some 1.3 million Syrians have already left the country and some estimates suggest that this may more than double by year end, unless the international community can broker a peace deal. IOM has already provided transport for over 312,000 refugees from the Syrian border to refugee camps in Jordan.

In Jordan, where IOM is appealing for US$ 3.1 million, the funding will be used to protect refugees by providing more emergency transport and to provide TB awareness raising, screening and treatment for up to 420,000 refugees in existing and new camps.

In Lebanon, where IOM is appealing for USD 14.2 million, the money will go towards non-food relief items for up to 65,000 refugees; support for the Lebanese national tuberculosis screening and treatment programme; livelihood support projects for refugees; registration of Lebanese returnees and third country nationals in need of repatriation; and protection for displaced children separated from their families.

In Turkey, where IOM is asking for USD 9.3 million, the money will pay for essential, non-food relief items and basic services, including water and sanitation, in refugee camps; emergency transport; health services and income generation projects.

In Iraq, where IOM is appealing for USD 25.5 million, the money will go towards providing non-food relief items to refugees inside and outside camps; water and sanitation projects that will provide clean drinking water for up to 20,000 people in camps; and income-generation projects for up to 70,000 refugees.

In Egypt, where the appeal is seeking USD 1.8 million, the money will be spent on primary health care for up to 60,000 refugees; psycho-social support; mapping and profiling of refugee families; and livelihood projects.

In the first half of 2013, IOM received USD 16 million for humanitarian projects in Syria from donors including the United Kingdom, Kuwait, the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), Italy, the European Commission Humanitarian Aid Department (ECHO), Canada and Switzerland.

During the same period it received a further USD 10 million for projects in neighbouring countries affected by the crisis, including USD 4.4 million for Jordan, USD 2 million for Iraq, USD 350,000 for Lebanon and nearly USD 3 million in regional funding. Donors included the United Kingdom, Japan, the United States, Canada, the UN CERF and China.

In 2012 IOM received some USD 10 million for projects in Syria and neighbouring countries. Donors included Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, the UN CERF, UNHCR, the Philippines, Chile, Cyprus and Slovakia.       

For more information, please contact

Donor Relations Division
IOM Headquarters, Geneva
Tel: +41 22 717 9271
Email: drd@iom.int