COVID-19: Guidance Note on Gender-based Violence Service Provision in Syria

There is increasing preliminary evidence from the countries most affected by the virus that indicates a negative impact on the trends, prevalence and intensity of GBV. For example, organizations have observed that extended quarantine and other social distancing measures have resulted in an increase in the number of domestic violence reports, driven by added household stress over health and economic risks, combined with forced coexistence in small living spaces. There are also reports of a growing number of attacks on female healthcare workers, which in turn have the potential for increase as health facilities struggle to provide adequate care to everyone who requires medical assistance (VAWG Helpdesk report, March 2020).

This document aims to provide practical guidance to support frontline gender-based violence (GBV) service providers to ensure timely, dignified and safe GBV service provision during the COVID-19 pandemic.