Refugee Response Programme (RRP)

Start & End Date: 2016-Ongoing

Country/Countries: Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey

Multilateral Institution(s) Involved: European Bank for Reconstruction and Development

The Syrian refugee crisis embodies one of the largest and most protracted and complex humanitarian emergencies of modern times. Since 2011, the bulk of refugees fleeing the conflict in Syria have found refuge among host communities in neighbouring states. Among the Arab States hosting Syrian refugees, Jordan and Lebanon already had to contend with difficult socioeconomic conditions before the Syrian crisis, particularly in communities where refugees have now settled.

EBRD developed a Refugee Response Programme (RRP) in 2016 to respond to the Syrian refugee crisis (Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey refugees and host communities) with a focus on social cohesion through the private sector to improve labour market access for refugees in key sectors. The three-tier private sector approach focuses on: 1. Infrastructure and local service delivery supported by a Municipal Refugee Resilience Response (MR3) framework aimed at alleviating the local pressure on refugee hosting communities and helping the local authorities in the delivery of public services at municipal level. 2. Initiatives supporting SMEs, entrepreneurship, and access to finance to strengthen economic resilience in refugee-hosting communities. The EBRD uses its Small Business Initiative (SBI) to improve access to finance and know-how for small businesses in underserved areas of south-eastern and central Turkey and Jordan, including for Women in Business. The EBRD works with local financial institutions to develop credit lines for on-lending to small and medium-sized enterprises, including risk sharing, as well as providing direct financing to businesses, including under the recently launched Youth in Business programme. 3. Opening up access to employment and skills through private sector engagement, to enhance access to skills, formal employment and entrepreneurship opportunities by leveraging the existing Gender Equality and Economic Inclusion expertise.