2014 Syrian Arab Republic Humanitarian Assistance Response Plan (SHARP)

SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE RESPONSE PLAN 2014
Prioritisation of needs
Prioritisation is a key element of the 2014 SHARP, aimed at enhancing the understanding of priority humanitarian
needs at the district level. Sector actions/projects are informed by the following broad categories:
Sector-specific thematic considerations based on sector strategy.
Projects promoting greater reach to affected populations in hard-to-reach areas will be given priority, in order to
be able to expand the current scope of assistance.
Community engagement approaches with local stakeholders, will be applied where possible, to further increase
the effectiveness of more fine grained needs assessments and optimize relief response to local demands.
Intersectorial linkages of the projects involving more than one sector.
Geographic prioritization is a key consideration for project selection. Each sector has developed specific
indicators to define their areas of geographic priority based on evidence of identified need.
Prioritisation of vulnerable segments of the population per district: while there is recognition of the limited data
to effectively map and define vulnerability based on clear indicators, sectors will develop specific (proxy)
indicators to define vulnerable categories of people in need of special attention and targeting, such as
households/populations who have been displaced, households/populations who have lost their sources of
income, women-headed households, child-headed households, unaccompanied/separated children, women
and girls at risk of gender-based violence.
Criteria for project selection
The 2014 SHARP recognizes the enormity of immediate life-saving needs, and is cognisant of the fact that there is
an expansion of humanitarian needs across all sectors. The disruption in basic services and reduction in resilience
and coping mechanisms is seen as a major driver of the current situation. It is also noted that needs are spread
across all geographic locations throughout Syria, and that there are segments of the population who deserve
special attention.
Notwithstanding the significant increase in the number of beneficiaries, this SHARP will promote a cost effective
and sustainable approach, and in this regard, project selection will be guided by the following broad criteria;
Coherence: Projects must demonstrate clear linkages between specific priorities and strategic objectives to
ensure an effective response.
Relevance: of humanitarian assistance provided.
Cost-effectiveness: Budgets must be realistic and feasible relative to each agencies operational capacity and
absorption capability.
Inter-sectoral linkages: There must be a clear demonstration of linkages between sectors to strengthen the
effectiveness of the response. Overlaps should be eliminated in the event that there are no complementarities.
Cross-cutting and context-specific issues
Protection: Protection mainstreaming will be promoted across all sectors by incorporating protection principles in
humanitarian assistance and promoting access, safety and dignity in humanitarian aid. Protection principles that
must be taken into account in all humanitarian activities are: (1) Avoid causing harm - (2) Equality - and (3)
Relevance of humanitarian assistance provided.
Gender: SHARP 2014 aims to mainstream gender equality programing by ensuring that immediate humanitarian
response includes an analysis of the different needs of women, girls, boys and men.
Environment: This strategy prioritizes the need to preserve the environment by promoting a consciousness among
humanitarian actors of the potential negative impacts of humanitarian action, and what steps may be needed to
mitigate the negative effects on the environment
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