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Iraq, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon

Website of the SDC in Iraq, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon: www.swiss-cooperation.admin.ch/jordan/

The SDC has been running development cooperation and humanitarian aid programmes in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria for the past several years.

Reliable and peaceful living conditions are to be created for various groups:

Refugees Internally displaced persons Vulnerable population and migrant groups Communities that are particularly exposed to the risk of natural disasters.

The extremely tense situation in Syria requires particular attention. In response to the civil unrest inspired by the Arab Spring, the government has taken increasingly harsh measures since March 2011 to crack down on protestors. If serious human rights violations lead to a humanitarian crisis, the most vulnerable population groups – Palestinian and Iraqi refugees and Syrians alike – will be the first ones in need of assistance. Refugee flows from Syria to neighbouring countries may increase as a result. The SDC remains in close contact with Swiss diplomatic missions in the region as well as with important international partner institutions.

The Middle East has been the theatre of conflicts and occupation for over a century. Most people are familiar with the struggle between Israelis and Palestinians. However, war and instability (both political and humanitarian) in Iraq and Lebanon have also taken their toll in the region.

Frequent resettlements of the population have shown how important it is to protect internally displaced persons and refugees. Several countries must share the burden of providing accommodation for these people.
While there has been a general decrease in poverty, there are still many vulnerable population groups in these countries. The socio-economic consequences of conflicts worsen the situation of families, especially women and children who are already suffering from legal and structural discrimination. Migrant workers from Asia and Africa are exposed to precarious living conditions and discrimination. The number of unemployed is particularly high, for instance, in refugee communities. When young people lack education and training – and therefore the opportunity to take part in economic and public life – a country's economic growth prospects are diminished, as are any chances of democratic change within society. Social and political strife is often fertile ground for religiously motivated political extremism.

Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria are also greatly at risk of natural disasters such as flooding, earthquakes and drought. This brings additional threats to the region and the populations living there. Dealing with water shortages at the regional level remains a major challenge.

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Humanitarian aid and development cooperation: priorities

The SDC implements its strategies in the following three areas:

• Basic services and livelihoods of refugees, internally displaced persons and vulnerable population and migrant groups.
• Protection of refugees, internally displaced persons and vulnerable population and migrant groups by fostering international humanitarian law and international agreements. For the “Protection in the Region” programme in Syria, the SDC works hand-in-hand with the FDFA's Directorate of Political Affairs and the FDJP's Federal Office for Migration.
• Disaster risk reduction (DRR): building capacities to better handle crisis situations caused by man, nature or technology. These efforts include such things as the sustainable management of water resources.

The SDC Cooperation Office in Amman coordinates the activities of the SDC programme office in Beirut and Damascus as well as the programme in Iraq, where the SDC has no field office.

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Background information on Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon

Facts and figures
	Iraq	Jordan	Syria	Lebanon
Surface area Population Annual population growth rate (since 1990) Life expectancy at birth women / men Adult illiteracy rate: women / men Gross Domestic Product GDP per capita Percentage of population with less than 2 USD per day	438’317 27.5    2.6 71 / 68 36 / 16 2900   ..	88'780 5.9   2.4 75 / 71 .. 4'216.5   4	185'000 20.6   2.7 76 / 72 23 / 10 2682   ..	10'400 4.2   0.7 74 / 70 .. 8'175   .. km2 mill. % years % US$ %
Source: World Bank's World Development Indicators 2011 Background information Iraq (BBC) Background information Syria (BBC) Background information Jordan (BBC) Background information Libanon (BBC)

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Local SDC contact address:

Iraq, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon (Amman)
Swiss Cooperation office Lebanon Beirut Phone: +961 1 739 741 Fax: +961 1 739 742 Email: beirut@sdc.net Swiss Cooperation Office Syria Doha St. No. 25-East Mezzeh P.O.Box 5913, Damascus - Syria Phone: +962 6 585 60 20 Fax: +962 6 581 59 56 Email: damascus@sdc.net Swiss Regional Cooperation Office Jordan Swefiyeh, Salah Toqan st. No.7 P.O.Box 830544 Amman 11183
Phone	+962 6 585 6020
Fax	+962 6 581 5956
Email	amman@sdc.net
Website	www.swiss-cooperation.admin.ch/jordan/

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	Additional Information and Documents Here, you will find more publications, links, documents and articles about Swiss development cooperation and humanitarian aid in this country.