Syria

Background
Due in large part to long-standing, historical, cultural, linguistic, and economic ties between Iraqis and Syrians, Syria has been particularly receptive to Iraqi refugees, who began migrating there as early as the 1990s. The recent influx, due to escalating conflict and sectarian violence, has, according to IMC estimates, brought Syria’s total Iraqi refugee population to 1.5 million, and put tremendous strain on Syrian host communities.

According to IMC’s recent assessment, many of these refugees—having fled violence that has directly touched their lives, either through loss of a loved one or by being forced to leave their homes under threat of death—suffer from psychological stress, trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder, and depression caused from their experiences in Iraq. This is further exacerbated by the fact that they face exploitation and high rates of unemployment, and 85 percent have little or no access to health care. Refugees with disabilities and rehabilitation needs and those with chronic illnesses suffer particularly under these conditions.

What IMC is Doing
Through its offices in Iraq, Jordan, and Lebanon, IMC works to promote stability in the Middle East by providing support to vulnerable and impoverished communities, with the goal of creating conditions under which peace and positive social change can develop. IMC has a regional coordinating office in Jordan, which works to strengthen the capacity of local NGOs, and is also operational in Lebanon and Iraq, where we work to create a safe, stable, and prosperous environment that will allow for the return of Iraqi refugees.

Our new program in Syria will complement this regional work by providing assistance to Iraqi refugees and host community members in three Syrian communities, with support from the United States Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration. IMC will provide primary health care services to a target population of approximately 50,000, at least half of whom will be Iraqi refugees. We plan to establish two primary health clinics—one in El Sayeda Zainab and another in Judaydt Artuz—and supply them with equipment, medical supplies, and staff to enable them to provide outpatient services. To decrease maternal and child mortality, we will ensure that pregnant women seen at each clinic receive complete antenatal and postnatal care. Importantly, IMC is working with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent Society (SARCS) and will provide support, including two dentists and two dental assistants, to two SARCS dental units that serve these communities.

Capacity building has been at the core of IMC's operations since the organization's inception, and has included training and skills building; curriculum development; program development, management, monitoring, and evaluation; guidance on fiscal responsibility and budget creation; donor relations; and policy creation. Our ultimate goal is to transfer the necessary skills for communities to be self-reliant and ensure that communities have continuing access to quality health services and support systems. To that end, IMC is now designing and will deliver a training course in basic childcare, hygiene, and primary health care for 600 first-time parents. We will also train clinic staff and community health workers to improve adherence to standardized case management protocols for diagnosis and treatment of the five most common childhood infectious diseases. Critically, IMC will also support and ensure the creation of Women’s Action Committees (WACs) in the target communities. The WACs will comprise local women volunteers who will conduct public education and community outreach, and help identify beneficiaries for primary health and antenatal care.