2020 Syria Regional Appeal - Syria -Cash Assistance for Essential Needs

In 2020, UNRWA plans to provide up to 418,000 Palestine refugees with cash assistance to meet their basic needs, including for food, NFIs and shelter. The Agency will deliver this assistance through a targeted approach introduced in 2019, focusing on the most vulnerable. In 2020, under this Emergency Appeal, approximately 126,000 Palestine refugees who fall within one of the four most vulnerable categories (female headed households, families headed by a disabled person and people with disabilities, families headed by an older person and unaccompanied minors / orphans) will be provided with US$ 28 per person per month. The remaining caseload will continue to receive US$ 14 per person per month. Through its partners, comprising a network of banks and private companies present in all regions of Syria, UNRWA will continue to provide cash assistance in a flexible and timely manner with minimal financial risk. In 2020, UNRWA also plans to extend the use of ATM for its cash distribution. Some 40,000 ATM cards will be issued, distributed and credited to selected beneficiaries, on top of the 10,000 cards already issued in 2019. Should funding become available, UNRWA will launch pilot initiatives in selected locations to support the most vulnerable refugees whose shelters have been damaged as a result of the conflict. Supporting the rehabilitation of these individual shelters will contribute to protecting the most vulnerable while preserving their resilience and reducing dependency on aid handouts. Different implementation modalities will be explored, including a self-help approach used in other UNRWA fields of operations, directly involving the families whose shelters are being rehabilitated, respecting their dignity and generating employment within the local economy, whilst supporting cost effective rehabilitation.