MASAR Maintaining Strength and Resilience for Local Governments

The conflict that erupted in Syria in 2011 has resulted in what is now the largest
refugee crisis in the world. More than 5.6 million Syrian refugees are registered in
neighbouring countries, primarily Turkey (3 million), Lebanon (1 million), Jordan
(650,000) and Iraq (250,000). Aside from being a humanitarian disaster, the refugee
crisis puts heavy weight on the communities in which refugees reside. From service
delivery to housing, infrastructure, waste management or local economies, the mass
influx of refugees presents many challenges to communities. Local or subnational
governments are often the actors responsible for responding to these challenges.

This is why MASAR for Local Governments
seeks to strengthen the long-term resilience
of subnational governments and their host,
refugee and IDP populations to deal with
displacement. Financed by the EU’s
Regional Trust Fund in Response to the
Syrian Crisis (“MADAD”), the project targets
those areas most heavily affected by the
Syrian refugee crisis. By focusing on improving
service delivery, area-based planning
and facilitating better access to municipal
investment, the project seeks to help local
and subnational governments develop sustainable
long-term solutions to the challenges
they face.

MASAR for Local Governments consists of
two relatively autonomous programmes in
Lebanon (Akkar, Baalbek-Hermel, and the
coastal plain north of Tripoli) and Iraq
(Duhok in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and
the Ninewah plain in Federal Iraq), each
with their own specific activities. Amongst
others, activities focus on the development
of emergency scenarios, strategic planning,
capacity development in the areas of procurement
and service delivery, technical
assistance to help local governments attract
municipal investment projects, as well as
other activities focused on improving service
delivery and creating economic opportunities
for host, refugee and IDP populations.

MASAR is being implemented
by VNG International along
with the Polish Center for
International Aid (Polish
acronym PCPM), the Catalan
Agency for Development
Cooperation (Catalan acronym
ACCD), and Local Government
Denmark (Danish acronym KL).

Being rooted in local government,
all organisations have
solid understanding of the context
within which they operate,
and proven experience
carrying out projects that target
subnational governments.