In 2019, UNHCR has worked to improve shelter conditions Syrian refugee camps. As a result, 90% of the total camp population lives in adequate shelters and has access to basic services, while 1,830 (10%) families are still in tents or non-upgraded shelters. It is worth mentioning that 58% of households have upgraded their shelter themselves (self-upgrade).
Until now, the care and maintenance in camps still relies heavily on funding from UNHCR and other humanitarian agencies. Similarly, some refugees claim property rights over their shelters as they want to continue investing safely in their plots, as they do not know when they will return to Syria.
At the end of 2018, the camps were full and cannot be extended because the surroundings are either already used or private property.
According to MSNA survey (2018), the cost of rent is prohibitive for some vulnerable families, who spend up to 30% of their total monthly expenditure in rent. Rent is the second biggest expenditure category reported by refugee families. As a result, 23% of families interviewed in MSNA reported having shelter issues such as bad insulation, openings in walls, leaking, broken windows, the presence of rodents and other pests, etc. A total of 4% of HHs were reportedly threatened with eviction in the three months preceding data collection.
In search of the solutions for all of refugees, the Shelter & Settlement Strategy for 2019/2020 will focus on the gradual transfer of care and maintenance of camps to local and national institutions, while increasing the beneficiaries’ role in the maintenance of services (electricity, water supply, wastewater management, etc.). This will be done on the basis of a community-based approach.
Should resources allow, 1,100 shelters will be upgraded to permanent in refugee camps, along with installation of a gravity sewer system in Domiz 1 camp. This system will ensure the connection of each household to the main sewer of the camp. Similarly, Waste Water Treatment Plants (WWTP) will be installed in Darashakran, Qushtapa, and Arbat refugee camps to treat the wastewater from camps. The upgrade of the wastewater management will benefit 63,086 refugees (15,530 households) in the four camps mentioned above. This project consists of replacing the old damaged water tanks and old pipes by new tanks and new composite PPR pipes of UV resistance with the required fittings and float valves. All interventions related to water systems operations aim to keep an average access of 95 liters per person, as it is currently the case.
UNHCR and partners will continue daily care and maintenance activities which are beyond the refugees’ capacity to avoid degradation of infrastructure. Shelter concerns of vulnerable refugees living outside camps will be addressed through MPCA and livelihood programming to prevent eviction of vulnerable refugee families.
The prioritized response includes most of the activities mentioned under the comprehensive response, except for the installation of the gravity sewer system in Domiz 1 camp, as it requires a multi-year investment (2020-2022). As a result, only one-third of the households in the camp will be connected to the sewerage systems at the end of 2020.