8. Victims, Refugees and Internally Displaced People

• Ensure that sufficient humanitarian assistance, including food and medicine and other relief aid and support, is delivered to internally displaced people and those living in besieged areas. Improve the situation of Syrian refugees living outside Syria. External governments should facilitate them to live a dignified life and allow them to work. Conditions for those in refugee camps should be substantially improved;
• Educational opportunity and continuity of education must be guaranteed for children and young people, whether they are internally displaced or refugees living in another country. To avoid losing several educated generations, neighboring governments of countries to which children have been displaced, whether living in refugee camps or towns and cities, should work with the UN to ensure that all children and young people are registered, taught and are able to advance through all stages of their education;
• Syrian embassies must deliver and renew passports of Syrian citizens in reasonable time without discrimination. Neighboring country embassies should facilitate access to and renewal of passports for Syrian citizens while the conflict continues;
• Urgent attention must be given to the resettlement of internally displaced people and refugees, including support and reparation to help them resettle. A program for the reconstruction of houses is a priority. The re-inclusion of Syria refugees must be guaranteed and when a sustainable ceasefire is in place they should be encouraged to return. Their right of return should be facilitated as quickly as possible by providing security, services and temporary accommodation inside Syria while houses are being reconstructed;
• All those injured and traumatized must have access to appropriate services quickly. This includes services that take account of the nature and extent of injuries, the extreme damage to the health of those in besieged areas and those who were denied access to vaccines and other medicines, and the health situation of externally and internally displaced people living in poor conditions;
• There must be ongoing support to meet the future needs of those with disabilities, whose numbers have increased substantially as a result of the conflict. Services for those suffering the effects of the conflict should include psychological support and trauma programs. The extent and level of child trauma must be recognized with special programs for children and young people. The effects of violence against women must be recognized and support programs provided. The psychological and health needs of detainees and prisoners should be provided for. Programs should be sensitive to responding to different gender needs and different groups of victims;
• A reparation mechanism should be established to provide reparation for the victims and survivors of the conflict, including provision for detainees and prisoners and their wives and families. The reparation mechanism should take account of the needs of men, women and children;
• A special commission should be established to make proposals for the support of widows and orphans in recognition of the fact that 40% of displaced/refugee families in camps are headed by women; and
• CSO work with victims and survivors should be recognized and financially supported. The safety of CSOs should be guaranteed to deliver humanitarian aid, and external governments working with the UN on resolving the Syrian crisis should financially support CSO humanitarian work. CSO should be consulted on and help design future health, trauma, reparation and other programs that will best meet the needs of victims and survivors. CSOs should have an ongoing role in representing the needs and interests of the affected groups and a key role in working with the Transitional Governing Body and the new post-TGB government to rebuild an inclusive, cohesive and integrated society.