2018 Syrian Arab Republic Humanitarian Response Plan: January - December 2018

The 2018 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) sets out the framework within which the humanitarian community will respond to the large-scale humanitarian and protection needs in Syria throughout 2018 on the basis of the prioritization undertaken across and within sectors. The HRP, based on humanitarian assessment data, also presents urgent funding requirements to address needs. It is anchored by three strategic objectives: saving lives and alleviating suffering, enhancing protection and building resilience. These objectives are interlinked, reflecting that needs are intertwined. Protection and early recovery are mainstreamed across the operation, adding coherence to the humanitarian response. Progress made towards attaining one objective is often dependent upon incremental steps towards achieving another. Achieving these objectives is contingent upon the availability of sufficient resources and the existence of an enabling operational environment.

Humanitarian activities under the HRP are coordinated at hub level and benefit from the Whole of Syria (WoS) approach.6 The HRP was developed by the humanitarian community working in Syria, under the leadership of the Humanitarian Coordinator for Syria (HC) and the Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis (RHC) and with support from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The HRP was consulted with the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic and collectively prepared by all partners. The final document was endorsed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC), in line with General Assembly resolution 46/182 (A/ RES/46/182). Affected people were consulted during the needs identification and planning processes.

The Government of Syria and the UN acknowledge that this is a technical and operational humanitarian document and that it should not be interpreted as a political document. While the UN and the Government of Syria may have differences in interpretation of certain issues, the primary objective of the document and for both parties remains the timely and adequate delivery of humanitarian assistance to people in need in accordance with international law, including A/ RES/46/182, and the UN Charter.