Emergency Support To Micro and Small Enterprises In The Earthquake-affected Areas of Syria ltpgtltbrgtThe project is designed in line with the priorities of 2nd Reserve Allocation 2023 of SHF to address the critical humanitarian needs of the earthquake-affected households in Syria.The project Objective is to increase access to livelihoods and job opportunities for the most vulnerable earthquake-affected households in Latakia.This will be achieved through the Output of blended finance provided to micro and small entrepreneurs to restore their income generating activities and rebuild their livelihoods in Latakia. The earthquake is a prolonged crisis, compounding the already devastating situation of Syrian people. Apart from loses of human life and physical damages, the earthquake directly affected the livelihood and local economy. According to IOM recent technical note (March 2023) as a result of the earthquake around 170,000 workers have been disemployed, leaving 154,000 households and more than725,000 individuals directly affected.FAO RNA conducted in the earthquake affected rural areas, indicate loss of livelihood and income sources of rural population due to death and injury of domestic animals and damages to productive assets such as, greenhouses, irrigation infrastructure and storage facilities threatening peoples' immediate and long-term food security.To address the mentioned challenges, AKF will adopt its community-based inclusive Humanitarian Microenterprise (HME) approach to reach the most vulnerable earthquake affected households and micro and small businesses in Lattakia to restore economic activity and facilitate local economic recovery, which has proved as a sustainable model of local micro and small enterprise development and building resilient livelihood by creating and or sustaining jobs and self-employment, contributing to food security, increasing access to private products and services. It focuses on new financing modalities such as concessional loans and grants paired with loans in collaboration with AKF sister agency First Micro Finance Bank (FMFB) which will promote new funding modalities with partners interested in economic recovery. Under the proposed project the HME services will be provided to 150 microbusinesses which have fully or partially lost their business as result of the earthquake and have little or no access to appropriate financing or technical assistance. The project will mainly target and support women (35% )and other vulnerable-led businesses.The project also takes into consideration the microenterprises impact on environment for which enterprises that may have harmful impact on environment are rejected. The major project interventions will follow the standard activity Provide emergency livelihoods and job opportunities for the most vulnerable earthquake-affected households through tailored activities:Establish a Local Consultation Group (LCG) who will has a key role in the planning and decision-making process. Opening of the application will be launched (including personal information about the applicant, information about his/her business and the status after the EQ, business restoration requirements) through the LNGOs.Assess the received requirements in cooperation with the GRC to identify and select the eligible businesses. Providing the blended financing services (an overall of of the overall amount as ltbgta grant ($1538.46lt/bgt) and support the beneficiary to take an 8.5% of the overall amount as a loan from the FMFB($153.85) through signing an MOU with FMFB. Need-based mentorship services to the selected microenterprises will be provided through designated mentors. Protection and safeguarding will be mainstreaming during the project cycle. Aligned with the 2nd reserve allocation strategy, and the and AKDN’s mandate in addressing the impact of EQ, the requested fund of ltbgt230,769 USDlt/bgt will help AKF to support 150 HHs to sustain their businesses,maintain their dignity, become self-reliant, preserve employment opportunities, and avoid adopting negative coping mechanismslt/pgtltp class="sceditor-nlf"gtltbrgtlt/pgt