Multi-Sector Needs Assessment (MSNA) of Syrian Refugees in Camps, Kurdistan Region of Iraq

REACH Initiative (REACH) has been supporting information management efforts undertaken by humanitarian actors in Iraq since November 2012 and was requested by UNHCR to support the Joint Assessment Mission (JAM) of UNHCR and the World Food Program (WFP) by conducting a Multi-Section Needs Assessment (MSNA), while at the same time establishing a multi-sectorial dataset on the profile, conditions and needs of camp-based Syrian refugees. Data collection took place alongside the JAM from 6 May to 22 May 2014, with training and pilots being conducted in Erbil and Duhok in the week before data collection started, to cover all nine camps across the three governorates. In total, 804 households were assessed.

The MSNA of Syrian refugees in camps aimed to identify priority needs within and among sectors and to identify gaps in relief assistance provided to meet these needs. Because this MSNA was developed with a view to supporting the JAM, a large section of it was focused on the food security situation and evaluating the assistance provided by WFP. A crucial part of this evaluation was a comparison of two distinct assistance schemes employed by WFP, one based on food parcel distribution and one based on vouchers, thus comparing the food security situation in camps with either of these schemes in place. The report presents sector specific assessment findings on education, health, food, livelihoods, energy/fuel and water in each of the refugee camps in the KRI, followed by recommendations to support the upcoming round of strategic planning for the next 6-12 months.