UNFPA and its partners are scaling up efforts to empower and improve the lives of Syrian women, youth and impacted communities inside Syria and in host countries, including by advocating for human rights and gender equality to better equip individuals and communities to cope with the far-reaching ramifications of this protracted crisis. These efforts continue in 2020 as communities withstand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has presented an array of unprecedented challenges, including consistently changing priorities and severe restrictions on movement.

Those at risk and in need of immediate humanitarian assistance also include: pregnant and lactating women, widows, children, people with disabilities, the elderly and those whose coping mechanism are drastically diminished. The effects of self-isolation and quarantine, lockdown and movement restrictions have created a new wave of GBV risks and significant limitations in availability and access to protection services, including, but not limited to, case management and psychosocial support.

In Syria, people affected by humanitarian crises, particularly those displaced and/or living in camps and camp-like settings, are faced with challenges accessing health services that were otherwise available before the COVID-19 outbreak. The most affected and at-risk population groups due to COVID-19 and their vulnerabilities include women and girls.