Days of intense bombings have destroyed or damaged the last remaining hospitals in East Aleppo, including three supported by the IRC. Below is a first-person account from one of the many Syrians who live under constant gunfire and barrel bombs.

If the Generation Equality Forum is to deliver on its promise for game-changing results for all women and girls and support the Sustainable Development Goals’ (SDGs) promise to Leave No One Behind, the Forum as a whole, and the Economic Justice and Rights Action Coalition specifically, must include dedicated commitments for displaced women and girls, including refugees, IDPs and others affected by conflict and crisis who are at risk of exclusion.

On 4 February 2016, the international community agreed on a ‘comprehensive new approach’ to address the protracted Syria crisis at the “Supporting Syria and the Region” Conference in London. Donors, and neighbouring countries, which host the vast majority of those who have fed Syria, committed to significant financial pledges and policy changes to improve the lives of refugees and host communities.

Gender-based violence (GBV) often escalates during humanitarian emergencies, especially when crises result in displacement. Increasingly, displaced persons are living in host communities or informal settlements, with more than half of the world's displaced people living in urban areas. Furthermore, conflict and disasters exacerbate many forms of GBV, such as sexual violence, intimate partner violence (IPV), and early marriage. Often those populations at greatest risk of GBV reside in areas that are difficult to access, both in terms of distance and security. To address these challenges, the International Rescue Committee (IRC), with support from the U.S. State Department, Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (BPRM), and European Union Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid (ECHO), has developed guidelines to support the provision of mobile and remote services to survivors of GBV in out-of-camp humanitarian settings. The guidelines recommend approaches and minimum standards for designing and implementing such approaches to service delivery while adhering to best-practice principles.

Over 5 million Syrians have been forced to flee their homes, searching for safety in neighbouring countries and in Europe. As crisis continues, the International Rescue Committee is working inside Syria, across the region and in Europe to support those people to live a life worth living. Here are the stories of Syrians who work for the IRC.

The IRC in Europe supports local service providers including community based-organisations, municipalities, other public bodies as well as non-governmental organisations working towards the socio-economic inclusion, safety and self-sufficiency of refugees and asylum seekers. Resettlement Resources provides expert resources for local governments, civil society and community organisations delivering reception and integration services for resettled refugees and asylum seekers.