Initials In Date Out Date Reason For Delay ORIGINATOR Country Office or... Regional Bureau on behalf of Country Office. CLEARANCE Regional Director...

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1 1 Syria SO No Logistics & Telecommunications Augmentation and Coordination to Support Humanitarian Operations in Syria B/R No.: 05 BUDGET REVISION FOR SOs FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE DED & COO Initials In Date Out Date Reason For Delay ORIGINATOR Country Office or Regional Bureau on behalf of Country Office CLEARANCE Regional Director Project Budget & Programming Officer, RMBP Chief, RMBP Chief, OSLT Director, OSL.... Director, RMB.. Director, OST (ICT operations only) APPROVAL Deputy Executive Director and COO.. PROJECT Previous Budget Revision New Budget CD&A (ODOC) US$ 21,175,153 US$ 4,552,153 US$ 25,727,306 DSC US$ 7,725,541 US$ 18,234 US$ 7,743,775 ISC US$ 2,023,049 US$ 319,927 US$ 2,342,976 Total WFP cost (US$) US$ 30,923,743 US$ 4,890,313 US$ 35,814,056 TYPE OF REVISION Additional DSC Additional CD&A Extension in time Other NATURE OF REVISION: This budget revision seeks a US $4,890,313 increase in Capacity Development and Augmentation and DSC to support the continuation and scale-up of the Logistics and Emergency Telecommunications Cluster s activities. Specifically, this BR will provide the following: The augmentation of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent s (SARC) inter-agency truck fleet, through the donation of trucks, radios, armored vehicles, personal protective equipment, first aid kits, and mobile storage units; Training of SARC personnel in fleet management software to optimize truck usage; Capacity building of partners in warehouse management and supply chain optimization; Airlifts of humanitarian relief supplies from Damascus or Lattakia to Qamishly; and ETC assessment surveys in Syria and surrounding countries, and the establishment of an inter-agency radio room in Dohuk, Northern Iraq. BR 5 activities will commence 15 June and conclude at the SO end date of 31 December 2014, as established under BR 3. 1

2 2 BACKGROUND: 1. The violence in Syria has escalated since March 2011, spreading throughout the country and severely affecting all fourteen governorates, especially the main cities of Homs, Hama, Idleb, Dara a, Deir-ez-Zoir, Albu Kamal, Qamishly, Hasakeh, and Aleppo as well as the capital, Damascus. People living in the affected areas are suffering from the disruptive impact of the prolonged civil war on the economy and local livelihoods. Millions of people have been displaced within Syria, and many more have fled to neighboring countries. Access to basic services like food, water, medicine, shelter, electricity, and fuel have been compromised by the devastating effect of the war. Vulnerability levels are expected to further increase this year with reports of drought conditions in various parts of the country which will most likely lead to a decline in food production and availability. 2. To date, the United Nations estimates that over 160,000 people have died due to the conflict. The UN notes that approximately 10.9 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance inside Syria, and 6.5 million Syrians are internally displaced. Currently, there are over 2.8 million Syrian refugees in surrounding Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq, and Egypt (Map attached - Annex I). A recent study by UNDP and the Syrian Center for Policy Research notes that more than half of the population live in extreme poverty. 3. On 6 May 2014, UN OCHA listed 262 locations throughout Syria s 14 governorates as hard to reach for the humanitarian community, leaving approximately 3.5 million people in need with only limited or no access to humanitarian assistance (Map attached - Annex II). These locations include areas experiencing active on-going fighting or areas under siege. The highest concentrations of places with limited access are clustered in rural Damascus, Quneitra, Dar a, southwest Hama, and the region between Idleb and Hama governorates. The country s northeast, including northern Aleppo, Ar-Raqqa, Deir-ez-Zor, and Al-Hasakeh is largely constrained by serious access challenges, as access routes are controlled by armed opposition groups that prevent the flow of commercial or humanitarian supplies. However, the volatile security situation means access is a persistent challenge, especially in contested zones and areas under siege. Despite several appeals by the humanitarian community, parties to the conflict continue to obstruct the delivery of humanitarian aid. Several locations have not been served for 12 months or more. 4. Access to the three northeastern governorates has been inconsistent since August In April 2014, the deteriorating security resulted in the suspension of WFP food assistance deliveries in Al Raqqah and Deir-ez-Zoir governorates. In late April, heavy fighting suspended negotiations between the UN and rebel groups, which aimed to secure access to beneficiaries in rural Aleppo. 5. Uncharacteristically low levels of rainfall in recent months threaten to worsen the country s already acute food crisis, especially in agricultural areas of Aleppo, Homs, Idleb, Dar a, and Hama governorates, which are all epicenters of the conflict. According to joint WFP-FAO assessments in 2013, the civil war has already cut back agricultural output by at least 40 percent. WFP estimates that the drought will likely further decrease Syria s annual wheat production to between 1.7 and 2 million MT, about half of pre-conflict levels. 1 A looming drought can push millions more into food insecurity, and securing access remains a major challenge. 6. The onset of warm weather, continual displacement, and deteriorating water and sanitation conditions--including expected water shortages associated with oncoming drought--are increasing the potential risk of serious disease outbreaks. Increased needs for WASH and health interventions are likely. 7. Furthermore, the conflict is hindering the effective importation and movement of goods as well as the continuation of normal levels of trade within Syria. This has particular implications for ETC activities requiring the importation of IT equipment. Humanitarian emergency responders rely on such technology equipment and services for all aspects of their operations from reporting, coordinating, and communicating, to ensuring the safety and security of staff in the field. Achievements to Date: 8. In its role as the lead agency of the Logistics and Emergency Telecommunication Clusters, WFP launched the Special Operation in July 2012 to augment security, logistics and emergency telecommunication activities to support the relief efforts of the humanitarian community. The project has been extended through 4 budget revisions to include additional requirements and an expanded scope. The budget was last revised on 7 February 2014 (BR 4). 9. To date, the following accomplishments have been achieved against each of the project components: 1 USAID. Syria-Complex Emergency: Fact Sheet #14, Fiscal Year May

3 Convoys: 23 Joint Humanitarian Convoys have been supported by the Syria Logistics Cluster to the most difficult-to-access areas in Syria so far this year. The Cluster s support to joint humanitarian convoys has provided the humanitarian community with concrete logistics means with which to access hotspot locations and deliver critical humanitarian supplies to besieged populations. The success of these convoys has been increasingly used as an important lever to advocate for unimpeded access to areas not permissible to the humanitarian community. This resulted in a number of access gains during the first half of Some examples include: A convoy to Douma (Rural Damascus) on 29 March - which was the first time this location was reached since October In February, Bloudan (also Rural Damascus) was accessed in February for the first time in over a year. Airlifts: In order to reach Hasakeh governorate, which remains inaccessible via road from Damascus, in 2014 the Cluster organized 11 emergency airlifts transporting over 1,000 m³ of urgent aid items to Qamishly from Damascus. With increased storage needs of partners in Qamishly, the Cluster has erected eight Mobile Storage Units (MSUs) there (over 2,000 m² capacity), and continues to maintain its primary storage hubs in Safita (near Tartous) and Rural Damascus. Logistics Training: Logistics trainings for warehouse management have been conducted in Damascus and Lattakia, with participation by UN agencies, INGOs, and local NGOs. Common Transport: Since its activation in January 2013, the Syria Logistics Cluster has transported over 37,000 m³ of relief items to locations in Syria on behalf of 17 humanitarian organizations. The organizations served include UN agencies, NGOs, and INGOs. (ACF, AKF, DRC, FAO, GOPA, IMC, IOM, Mercy Corps, Premiere Urgence, SARC, Secours Islamique France, UNICEF, UNHCR, UNFPA, UNRWA, UNDP, and WHO). Common Storage: Temporary storage is provided at the Logistics Cluster s storage facilities in Safita (near Tartous), Sahnaya and Kisweh (Rural Damascus), and Qamishly. Fuel Depots: The Logistics Cluster has established depots for WFP fuel in Kisweh, Rural Damascus; Safita, and Qamishly. Fuel is provided to other organizations on a cost recovery basis Winterization Campaign: In early 2014, a total of 75,170 litres were distributed in Damascus, Hama and Homs to cover heating and cooking needs in 37 IDP shelters. (Component added by BR 4) Logistics Cluster Coordination and IM: Over 35 Cluster Coordination Meetings have been held in the region, and over 80 Information Management (IM) products, including maps, capacity assessments, and snapshots of logistics infrastructure, situation reports, info-graphics, and meeting minutes are regularly produced and shared on the Syria Logistics Cluster webpage. SARC Capacity Building: 20 trucks were purchased by the Logistics Cluster and donated to the Syrian Arab Red Crescent in November 2013 to strengthen its last mile delivery capacity. ETC: Provision of internet connectivity to the humanitarian community in three new common operational areas, including Damascus. To improve the operational capacity to mitigate security-related risks for humanitarian staff, radio training by a qualified radio trainer was provided to humanitarian staff. JUSTIFICATION FOR THE REVISION: 10. With the humanitarian situation in Syria worsening day by day, humanitarian organizations continue to struggle to provide basic services to the displaced and conflict-affected people in Syria. As part of the humanitarian response, transport provision, storage, coordination, and ETC activities previously catered for under the original SO and subsequent budget revisions are continuing through the Logistics and Emergency Telecommunications Clusters. However, as humanitarian demands are growing, there is an urgent need to scale up and augment humanitarian operations. As such, additional support in the areas of coordination, convoy provision, and ETC services are required. 11. The volatile security situation means humanitarian access is a persistent challenge. The humanitarian community are engaged with the Government and parties to the conflict to negotiate access to hard to reach locations for urgently needed humanitarian aid. Negotiations are cumbersome, and last minute changes often occur, resulting in delays and postponements in the delivery of aid. Due to the high risk involved in moving trucks to these areas, commercial cargo transporters are reluctant or refusing to operate in contested areas. Moreover, all delays and rescheduling hurdles mean that commercial transporters lose days of work for trucks which are tied up and loaded, but unable to move. 12. There is an increasing need for humanitarian aid within Syria. Therefore, the humanitarian community has identified the need to augment the Syrian Arab Red Crescent s inter-agency trucking fleet. The donation of 15 trucks will increase the humanitarian community s capacity for overland delivery of aid into hard to reach locations across Syria s 14 governorates. 3 3

4 4 13. Due to the conflict, large areas of North-Eastern Syria are completely inaccessible by land transport. In these situations, air transport is the only means of delivering aid, which is flown to Qamishly and then dispatched by road to distribution points across the North-East 14. The continuing crisis in Syria necessitates increased safety and security measures for humanitarian personnel operating across the country s conflict zones. This is especially true for the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC), given its unique and integral position as lead implementing partner for the humanitarian community inside Syria. Roadside bombs, landmines, and gunfire, and other threats from the protracted conflict pose serious risks to the safety and well-being of SARC personnel working in Syria. Therefore, SARC staff require a minimum level of protection to deliver humanitarian cargo safely and effectively when they accompany convoys. In April 2014, a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) struck a SARC convoy carrying WFP food to Aleppo. 15. The ETC has been tasked by the Humanitarian Country Team to establish additional hubs throughout the country as well as supply emergency telecommunication services for the humanitarian community in Iraq, as part of the regional humanitarian response. OBJECTIVES 16. The objectives of this budget revision align with those of the original SO and of preceding budget revisions. Specifically, this budget revision aims to: Augment SARC s inter-agency fleet to increase to the humanitarian community s capacity for overland transport and delivery of humanitarian relief items to people in need; Enhance the safety and security of SARC staff and facilitate operations through the provision of personal protective equipment; Optimize warehouse and supply chain processes to improve handling, storage, and distribution of food and NFIs; Facilitate the delivery of humanitarian supplies to Qamishly through airlifts, for onward overland delivery to final distribution points; and Support inter-agency emergency telecommunications coordination and service provision in areas where humanitarian organizations are operating (common operational areas). IMPLEMENTATION Logistics Cluster: Capacity Building of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) 17. Augmentation of Inter-agency Truck Fleet managed by SARC: Through this budget revision, WFP will provide additional support for cross-line missions by procuring 15 trucks and spare parts for the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC), the main implementing partner for all humanitarian organizations operating in Syria. Eleven of the trucks are Renault Kerax 6x4, each with a 15 metric ton capacity. Four are Renault Midlum 4x4 trucks, each with a 12 metric ton capacity. This configuration will increase the humanitarian community s capacity for overland transport of humanitarian relief items by 213 metric tons. These trucks will augment SARC s specialized fleet for inter-agency humanitarian convoys, which currently consists of 20 Midlum trucks (12 MT capacity) that was donated to SARC under BR 3 of this SO. 18. This BR also supplies SARC with 2 armored vehicles as well as personal protective equipment for its staff. These provisions will allow SARC staff to conduct inter-agency convoy deliveries of relief supplies to displaced and conflict-affected populations throughout the country on behalf of the humanitarian community. It is an operational priority to limit the exposure of SARC staff and drivers to safety risks as much as possible, especially within contested areas and conflict zones. 19. Furthermore, provisions are also made for radios and first aid kits for the 15 trucks and 2 armored vehicles. Mobile storage units are also being provided to SARC to house the trucks. 20. SARC will be responsible for the daily operation of the trucks and armored vehicles, radios, and storage units. 21. WFP will train SARC fleet managers in the use of Fleet Management System (FMS) software to optimize vehicle usage and provide a spare parts barcoding system. This training is designed to give SARC personnel the knowledge, skills, and technology that will enable them to maximize efficient truck usage and optimize the delivery of life-saving aid and relief items for the humanitarian community. 4

5 5 Capacity Building of Logistics Cluster Partners 22. The Logistics Cluster will work closely with WFP Logistics to arrange for the training of partners across Syria on warehouse management practices. This will help with the overall humanitarian response by optimizing and improving supply chains, the receipt of goods, and accountability. Logistics Cluster: Air Transport 23. Due to security concerns, land transportation to certain places such as Hasakeh remains impossible. The imminent drought will likely heighten the need for life-saving relief items in these and other inaccessible locations. Air transport remains the only effective and efficient option for humanitarian access to these areas This BR caters for 7 airlifts (one airlift of 2 rotations per month from Damascus/Lattakia to Qamishly from June to December. Each rotation will deliver up to 40 metric tons in humanitarian relief supplies). Emergency Telecommunications Cluster 24. The ETC will continue to provide services in five locations in Syria as well as coordinating activities and providing services as needed in the surrounding countries. However, the ETC scope will change slightly to cater for additional locations related to the Syria crisis. Under this BR, the ETC will conduct the following two activities: 1.) ETC assessment missions to survey proposed ETC hub sites inside Syria and surrounding countries (e.g. Lebanon), and 2.) the establishment of an inter-agency radio room in Dohuk, Northern Iraq. 25. Despite the difficult and restrictive situation, the ETC is aiming to achieve the following: Provision of data connectivity services at all operational areas inside Syria, Deployment of basic common IT services in the hubs, Improvement of the radio network coverage in operational areas (Syria and surrounding countries), Installation and programming of VHF/HF radios for humanitarian organizations inside Syria, Continued coordination and information-sharing amongst humanitarian partners, Provision of radio training to the ETC member community in Syria, ETC assessment missions to operational areas in Syria and surrounding countries, Liaising with government authorities on behalf of the humanitarian community to license and import telecoms equipment, and Regular inter-agency meetings and collaboration with existing groups. 26. As lead agency of the ETC, WFP is working in close collaboration with partner agencies including UNHCR, UNDSS, and OCHA as well as many others. Regular Syria ETC teleconferences ensure coordination and information-sharing on a global level, and working group meetings are held at a local level. 27. IT and telecoms equipment is being procured both regionally and internationally. Equipment stocks are currently prepositioned in Dubai and Beirut, waiting for access into Syria and to fulfil deployment requirements relating to the operation in surrounding countries. MONITORING AND EVALUATION: Key Performance Indicators Key performance indicators (KPIs) align with those in the original SO document. 28. Logistics Cluster KPIs for this BR include: Increasing the humanitarian community s overland delivery capacity within Syria from 240 metric tons to 453 metric tons. Increasing trucks availed to the humanitarian community on a monthly basis from 20 to 35. Percentage of UN and NGO overland transport requests met through inter-agency trucking fleet: 90%. Training of SARC fleet managers in Fleet Management Software (Target: 10 SARC personnel); Training of Logistics Cluster partners in warehouse management; and Percentage of UN and NGO air transport requests met through airlifts from Damascus to Qamishly: 80%. 29. ETC KPIs for this BR include: 5

6 Number of operational areas covered by common security telecommunications network: ETC to establish and staff one radio room in Dohuk, Northern Iraq, including deployment and coverage of common security telecommunications networks in the area; ETC to increase by one the number of ETC assessment missions conducted in Syria and surrounding countries (i.e. Lebanon); and ETC to train 200 humanitarian personnel in the use of radios. In light of the above, this budget revision for additional CD&A and DSC with a budget increase of US $4,890,313 recommended for approval by the Deputy Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer. DISTRIBUTION: DED & COO Deputy DED Director, OSL Chief, OSLT Director, OSZ Director, RMB Chief, RMBP, OSZP, OSZR Regional Director Director, PGG Country Director Bgt/Prgrmming Officer, RMBP RB Programme Advisor OM Registry Programming Assistant, RMBP RB Programme Assistant Liaison Officer, Director, OST (ICT operations only) Director, OME 6 6

7 7 Annex I: Syria and Syrian Refugee Crisis 7

8 8 Annex II: Hard-to-Reach Locations 8