UNHCR - "Contribution in support of people of concern to UNHCR in Lebanon, Syria, Mali and Niger" UNHCR - "Contribution in support of people of concern to UNHCR in Lebanon, Syria, Mali and Niger" UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is a global organization dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for people forced to flee their homes because of conflict and persecution. 
They lead international action to protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities and stateless people. 

Their vision is a world where every person forced to flee can build a better future.
Today, UNHCR works in 135 countries. They provide life-saving assistance, including shelter, food, water and medical care for people forced to flee conflict and persecution, many of whom have nobody left to turn to. They defend their right to reach safety and help them find a place to call home so they can rebuild their lives. Long term, we work with countries to improve and monitor refugee and asylum laws and policies, ensuring human rights are upheld. UNHCR aims to provide monthly MPCA to 144,000 most severely vulnerable Syrian refugee families in Lebanon to help them meet their essential needs such as shelter, food and medicine. Families are able to withdraw cash from any ATM in Lebanon and afford the goods and services they need most according to their prioritisation without repeatedly travelling to and queueing at distribution points to collect in-kind items.

Functioning markets, technical capacity, adequate banking services, and infrastructure throughout Lebanon allows cash-based assistance to be an effective and efficient modality to meet refugees’ basic needs; shelter, food, medicine, clothing, and household items are readily available through the local market and ATMs are easily accessible. Both refugees and UNHCR value the dignity that cash assistance allows. Injecting cash into the local economy may also contribute to attenuating increasing tensions between refugees and local populations by increasing cash flow in local markets. In this context, cash-based assistance serves as a viable and preferred alternative to in-kind assistance. 

MPCA is provided through LOUISE , the single electronic card platform established in 2016 that brings together UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, and NGO partners involved in cash transfer activities in Lebanon. LOUISE, as an inter-organizational platform, oversees the majority of cash-based assistance in Lebanon and provides coordinated and coherent cash-based assistance to Syrian refugees. UNHCR, alongside partners and relevant sectors, uses an econometric formula to predict the expenditure of refugee households as a proxy of socioeconomic vulnerability. The model was first introduced in 2016 and is reviewed and updated every year to ensure that the targeting approach stays relevant, and is adapted to trends in the refugee community. The formula is derived from the VASyR data.

To ensure that assistance reaches the intended beneficiaries and serves its purpose, UNHCR has put in place a robust system of financial control, verification and monitoring. This includes:
	Identity verification during card collection for beneficiaries who are not yet in possession of an ATM card;
	Validation of beneficiary identity prior to uploading for those who received an ATM card before;
	Card embossment only after identity checks;
	Bank upload instruction through Secured File Transfer;
	Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) protected by digital signature;
	Post-distribution on monitoring including withdrawal tracking;
	Outcome monitoring reports;
	Focus group discussions, surveys and distribution record tracking.

UNHCR uses iris scans systematically for the validation process for MPCA and is working towards validating all refugees benefiting from MPCA every three months. Validation by iris scan is also used systematically during the regular registration and protection-related activities when refugees approach UNHCR's reception centres. UNHCR also conducts mobile validation using iris scans for refugees who are not able to approach the centres e.g., due to immobility.

Since 2018, UNHCR has also implemented a grievance redress mechanism (GRM) for the cash assistance programme to enhance responsiveness to refugees who have been discontinued from assistance or who were never assisted. The GRM was co-designed by refugees who, themselves, initiated a review process by placing claims through dedicated channels such as UNCHR’s call centre, a web link, and reception centres. In 2021/22, 11,000 refugee families were selected to receive MCAP through the GRM. During the targeting and GRM periods, several consultations are held with refugees, such as workshops with Refugee Outreach Volunteers (OVs) and Focus Group Discussions with both assisted and non-assisted refugees. The Call Centre also serves as the main complaint mechanism for refugee families receiving assistance.
 Niger continues to face unprecedented humanitarian challenges resulting from years of volatility, conflict and growing militia activity in the neighboring countries, such as Nigeria, Mali and Burkina Faso. Thousands of persons are forced to flee armed groups’ attacks in their villages, violence and several violations of their human rights in order to seek refuge in Niger, particularly at the borders with the regions of Tillaberi, Maradi, Diffa and Tahoua where the increase of military operations continue to cause forced international and internal displacement. 

As of April 2022, UNHCR Niger operation estimated 584,881 displaced persons. Out of the total number, 410,242 persons (202,136 refugees and asylum seekers, and 208,106 IDPs), corresponding to 70 percent of the total population, were hosted in Tillaberi (36,886 refugees and 99,873 IDPs), Tahoua (20,629 refugees 11,070 asylum seekers and 40,416 IDPs) and Diffa (129,942 refugees, 3,612 asylum seekers, and 67,817 IDPs).  

Since January 2022, close to 30,000 Malians and Nigerians have fled to Niger. At the end of April 2022, the number of refugees and IDPs in Tillaberi and Tahoua was 201,371.  These new arrivals are integrating the already existing flow of displaced persons in the Tillaberi, Tahoua, and Diffa regions arrived in the previous years. 

In Diffa region, border-crossing with Nigeria and movements in the Gueskerou, Toumour, and Bosso roads remain restricted since 2019. The limitation of formal economic exchanges with Nigeria has resulted in a continuous increase in the price of essential goods for the population, which has been furtherly aggravated by COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-2021 and the recrudescence of armed groups’ attacks perpetrated even in the center of Diffa city in 2021. Attacks against the population – including the trademark use of kidnappings – continue to threaten populations and humanitarian workers. At the end of April 2022, the Diffa region hosted 236,862 Nigerian refugees, IDPs, and Nigerien returnees, over 80 percent of whom live in spontaneous settlements. The local authorities in the region continue to advocate for the return of the IDPs to their areas of origin. UNHCR, through the humanitarian country team, will support the Government of Niger in creating an environment where conditions for return in safety and dignity are met and returning IDPs can reintegrate in their areas of origin. 
 Since the dire situation related to internal conflicts, climate change and terrorism in the bordering countries, Mali witnesses a continuous influx of people fleeing their countries to seek protection, as well as internal displacement due to the continuous jihadist attacks and deterioration of the climatic situation in many villages within its territory. Currently, Mali is hosting 47,804 refugees and asylum seekers coming from different Sahelian countries, especially Niger and Burkina Faso. 

In Mali, increased clashes between armed groups in the tri-border area (Liptako Gourma), bordering Burkina Faso and Niger, as well as the escalation of insecurity in the centre of the country spreading widely to the south (Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast), continue to cause and increase further The project has the purpose of supporting refugees, asylum seekers, and IDPs in Tillaberi, Tahoua, and Diffa regions in Niger to attain favorable protection environments through border monitoring and realize their basic rights in safe environments with regular to  humanitarian assistance, i.e., core relief items, an adequate quantity of water and sanitation, and access to education.

The expected results are:
Result 1 - Refugees and asylum seekers will have improved access to the asylum system in Tillaberi, Tahoua, and Diffa regions through enhanced systematic border monitoring.
Result 2 – Refugees, asylum seekers, and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) will have improved access to humanitarian assistance through providing core relief items, availability of an adequate quantity of water, development of sanitation facilities, and supporting their access to education.
 The objective of this project is to increase access of school-age children to formal education. Throughout the implementation of the project’s proposed activities displaced, returnee, refugee children, as well as children of host communities will benefit from education support, which in turn will have an important impact on their protection and the prevention of child labour and early marriage among other risks.  The project aims at supporting vulnerable displaced persons (refugees and internally displaced persons) through the reinforcement of the protection environment in the North and the Centre of Mali.
The expected results are: The objective of the project is to support severely and highly vulnerable refugee families who are already struggling to meet their basic needs, cover additional expenses incurred, and reduce resorting to negative coping strategies. Attaining favorable protection Environments

Registration and documentation
While the region continues to witness the degradation of the security situation (particularly in Burkina Faso and Niger), Mali faces a continuous flow of forced displacement within its borders. UNHCR will continue to reinforce joint registration and verification activities with its governmental partner, the National Commission in Charge of Refugees (CNCR), through:
	Ensuring level 2 and biometric registration of refugees. UNHCR will continue its partnership with the Government to ensure registration and access to documentation for all asylum seekers and refugees hosted in refugee sites (Anderamboukane, Ishinane, Inekar, Agzragane and Tamalat). Registration is conducted by specialised staff through a protection interview, which will determine if the person can apply for international protection (refugee status). Those beneficiaries eligible for the refugee status will receive a refugee certificate, which protects them against refoulement, allows access to rights and basic assistance, and facilitates freedom of movement in Mali. 
	Capacity building for CNCR agents on registration and refugee status determination. Agents from the government entity and UNHCR partner CNCR will continue to be trained to ensure the quality and integrity of the registration process and the confidential treatment of sensitive data
Gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and response
The increase of protection incidents due to the situation in the country and related to gender-based violence (GBV) remains a major priority in Mali, in alignment with UNHCR Strategic Directions for 2022-2026. UNHCR will continue to reinforce the protection response toward its beneficiaries, mobilizing roving service teams composed of a social worker, a health care worker and a psychosocial assistant which will offer medical, psychosocial, and legal support in three localities, in Kayes (North-West), Koro (in central Mopti region, and Anderamboukane (northern Menaka region), not covered by these holistic services. UNHCR and its partners will also continue to distribute essential Non-food items (NFIs) to GBV survivors, such as hygiene kits and baby kits. UNHCR and partners will also provide support to GBV survivors through several activities which will enhance-economic integration and self-empowerment. 
Realizing Basic Rights in Safe Environments

Basic needs/Multipurpose assistance
UNHCR remains the responsible humanitarian agency to assist and ensure access to protection and direct assistance to refugees while these are not ensured by the hosting country and/or other humanitarian actors. This is the case in Mali, where most refugees completely rely on UNHCR assistance to cover their basic needs, including food, NFIs, education and health. For refugees (from Burkina Faso and Niger) located in Gao, Mopti, Tombouctou and Menaka UNHCR operation in Mali has been using cash transfer to aid cover their basic needs.  
Shelter/NFIs
The effects of conflicts and climate change are boosting the degradation of living conditions for all those populations already living in fragile and precarious environments. These aggravating factors - as well as shifted wind regimes, seasonal disruption and air masses movement, waterways removal, numerous vector-borne diseases, malaria, and rural exodus – contribute to trigger first and secondary internal forced displacement of people largely affected by    heavy rains, subsurface water levels increase, and storms more and more violent and recurrent
 Attaining a Favorable Protection Environment 

Border monitoring
Since the deterioration of the security situation along all borders of the Central Sahel and Lac Chad Basin areas (namely borders between Niger and Nigeria, Mali and Burkina Faso), UNHCR will continue to implement its strategy to strengthen the protection response and border monitoring for PoCs fleeing to or within the borders of Niger. This activity - which includes collecting, verifying, and analyzing information to identify human rights violations and protection risks encountered by refugees, IDPs and other affected populations, including advocacy, referral, and provision of multisectoral assistance – remains paramount to discover and prevent arbitrary detention due to lack of documentation, child abuse, gender-based violence, limited access to protection services and socio-economic assistance, etc. 
Realizing Basic Rights in Safe Environments

Provision of Basic Domestic Items (CRIs)
UNHCR will continue to ensure provision of basic Core Relief items (CRIs) to beneficiaries in Tahoua region, including sanitary materials, through a cash-based assistance program to respond to their immediate basic needs. While UNHCR continues to advocate for an holistic access of its beneficiaries to adequate assistance by the humanitarian and/or national socio-services, the intervention will provide assistance to vulnerable beneficiaries in order to ensure their dignity and well-being and avoid that local communities already affected by lack of resources and a difficult economic situation to be overcharged by the presence of UNHCR’s beneficiaries toward them.
Provision of adequate potable water and sanitation facilities
The environmental situation in the concerned regions is challenged by constant climate change issues, drastic or deserting environments, and droughts affecting the population’s access to water, sanitation, food, farming activities for livelihood, etc.
Supporting Access to Primary Education
Despite considerable efforts by the Government of Niger and the Humanitarian Community, the country continues to have an extremely fragile public education system. Due to the traumatizing experience of fleeing their homes, many refugees, asylum seekers and IDPs children are forced to give up on their education. Despite this difficult situation, 58,726 refugee children in Niger had access to primary education in 2021 through various supports, in particular, the construction of school infrastructure, the provision of school, didactic and pedagogical materials, capacity building for teachers and protection in the school environment. 



 The MPCA is The generous contribution of the Government of Belgium of EUR 2,000,000 (or USD 2,150,538 ) will contribute to providing 4,843 of the most vulnerable Syrian refugee families (23,730 individuals) out of the targeted 144,000 households (707,827 individuals) with a monthly MPCA of LBP 1,000,000  per family for a period of 12 months to assist them in meeting their most urgent needs. MPCA recipients will include female-headed households, persons with serious medical conditions, the disabled, women at risk, persons with specific legal or physical protection needs, children at risk, single parents, older persons at risk, unaccompanied/separated children and minor-headed households. The interventions will target primarily 410,242 displaced persons (202,136 refugees and asylum seekers, and 208,106 IDPs), in the Tillaberi (Abala, Ayourou and Ouallam departments), Tahoua (Tillia, Madaoua, and Tassara departments), and Diffa (Diffa, N’guiguimi, Bosso, Maine Sorea, and Goudoumaria departments) regions of Niger.

Identification of the entire target of beneficiaries will be done mainly through protection monitoring activities and vulnerability screening conducted directly at the community level and referrals from other humanitarian actors.

 1,500  refugees’ households and 3,000 vulnerable internal displaced persons (IDPs) households will benefit of the interventions funded by Belgium Government. This results in an estimated total of 7,500 and 15,000 persons respectively. Additionally, around 450 households from the host community will also benefit from the intervention. As internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees often settle in the same areas, UNHCR bases its response on needs rather than status, and ensures that vulnerable host populations are supported, thus mitigating the risks of communal tensions. Vulnerable groups – including persons living with disabilities, displaced populations, GBV survivors, women and girls at risk – will be prioritized. The generous contribution from Belgium will contribute to supporting approximately 14,500 vulnerable children across Syria with education activities