Brussels Conference on Syria: Investing in emergency livelihood interventions and resilience
March 2021 marked the 10th anniversary of the Syrian war. On March 29-30, the European Union and the United Nations co-chaired the fifth Brussels Conference entitled “Supporting the future of Syria and the region”. The overarching objective of the Brussels Conferences is to continue supporting the Syrian people and mobilize the international community to find a solution to the conflict.
The conference addressed the most critical humanitarian and resilience issues affecting Syrians and communities hosting refugees from Syria, both inside the country and across the region.
FAO Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol took part in the Ministerial segment of the Conference. She said the agricultural sector is urgently appealing for USD 370 million to assist almost 2 million families in Syria to resume or continue food production. “Through emergency livelihood interventions, FAO not only provides a lasting source of food but also begins to lay the foundations for greater resilience to future shocks, bringing hope for the future“ she noted.
FAO Representative in Syria, Mike Robson participated in a panel discussion on humanitarian responses focused on food security and livelihoods. The panel was co-organized by the EU Commission Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO) and the World Food Programme (WFP). Panelists discussed the most efficient, dignified and durable approaches to strengthen food security responses and livelihoods support inside Syria, and to reduce aid dependency amongst the most vulnerable individuals and communities. The FAO Representative pointed out the already substantial support offered by FAO and noted that it is essential to give people choice and build on what is there already, rather than introducing a completely new livelihood option, while training and new technologies are also important. Robson also took part in a side-event on early recovery and resilience-building in Syria organized by the United Kingdom, where he highlighted the alarming increase in food insecurity. He offered the example of FAO’s work on the light rehabilitation of irrigation facilities throughout Syria, an intervention that supported around 100 000 farm households directly by bringing approximately 55 000 hectares of land back under irrigation.
Read more about FAO’s work on rehabilitation of irrigation facilities here.
The FAO Humanitarian Response Plan for Syria is available here.