The IRC’s Economic Recovery and Development Department works with a range of partners to make markets work for our beneficiaries. Our approach recognises that the prosperity of the vulnerable and conflict-affected is closely linked to their ability to engage with the larger market as a whole, stabilising their lives through jobs and income. This approach, where appropriate, works not only to directly support the conflict-affected and most vulnerable, but also those who are able to generate jobs and investment capital, namely processors, wholesalers, retail traders and others.

This paper aims to articulate why markets are at the core of the IRC’s programming in economic recovery and development and beyond and how the IRC does and should engage with markets across sectors.

The Syrian crisis has led to an influx of more than 1.2 million refugees into Lebanon, creating severe economic, political and social strains. To better understand the effect of these strains on employers this report seeks to identify how to support the private sector to buffer the impact of the Syrian crisis on host countries and on refugees living there.