Jordan continues to host hundreds of thousands of refugees, the majority of whom are from Syria. Despite recent voluntary returns, many families still live in conditions of economic and social vulnerability, concentrated mainly in the governorates of Amman, Zarqa, Mafraq and Irbid. The long-term consequences of the Syrian crisis are compounded by pre-existing challenges in the country, including unemployment, poverty and limited access to protection services. Women, girls, children and people with disabilities face additional barriers to accessing their rights, whilst the reduction in humanitarian funding and the closure of certain services have further limited the support available to them.
The SPRING project aims to strengthen the protection of the most vulnerable people within Syrian refugee communities and Jordanian host communities in the governorates of Zarqa, Amman, Mafraq and Irbid. The project promotes an integrated approach that combines protection, assistance, empowerment and social inclusion, with a particular focus on women, girls, children and people with disabilities.
The activities include improving access to protection services through individual support programmes, services addressing gender-based violence and child protection, safe spaces and support groups for women and girls, as well as rehabilitation services for people with disabilities, delivered in part through mobile units. The project also supports the most vulnerable families in meeting their basic needs through financial assistance for protection and education, vocational training and programmes to develop transferable skills, as well as support for income-generating activities. At the same time, it promotes community-based protection by strengthening local organisations, training community leaders and service providers, raising awareness of rights, and supporting community initiatives to prevent gender-based violence.
Through SPRING, we aim to reach around 28,000 people, helping to improve access to protection services, the sense of safety and economic independence. Through information campaigns and awareness-raising activities, we also expect to reach around 100,000 people, increasing their knowledge of their rights and the services available. At community level, the project aims to strengthen the role of local civil society and to combat discriminatory social norms, particularly those that fuel gender-based violence and early marriage.
The project is being implemented by Oxfam Italia, Oxfam Great Britain and Un Ponte Per ETS, in collaboration with the Jordanian organisations Athar Association for Youth Development Society, Al-Dulail Women Special Education Society (Sayidat Al-Dulail) and Forearms of Change Centre to Enable Community (FOCCEC). The initiative is funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) and helps to strengthen inclusive and sustainable protection systems for refugees and host communities in Jordan.
The “Building Peace and Stability in Iraq (BPSI) – Phase IV” programme is situated within a complex transitional phase in Iraq, where emergency humanitarian response is gradually giving way to durable solutions led by national institutions and local actors. Despite progress, the context remains marked by large numbers of internally displaced persons and returnees, as well as structural barriers to reintegration—such as limited access to essential services, unresolved housing, land and property issues, and gaps in civil documentation. These challenges are compounded by fragile social dynamics, including stigma and discrimination, and by environmental pressures related to the climate crisis. In this setting, the project operates across 13 high-severity locations in the governorates of Ninewa, Salah al-Din, Kirkuk and Anbar.
The overall objective of the initiative is to enable the safe return and sustainable reintegration of conflict-affected populations by strengthening locally led peacebuilding processes, expanding access to justice, and reinforcing the institutional capacity of civil society and public authorities. Three specific objectives guide the intervention: promoting social cohesion and conflict reduction through inclusive community dialogue; ensuring access to rights and justice for individuals involved in return and reintegration processes; and strengthening the capacities of local and institutional actors to support policies and practices aligned with durable solutions.
The project’s main activities are structured around three pillars. First, it supports inclusive dialogue platforms—such as Peace Committees and Natural Resource Management Committees—which facilitate conflict resolution and strengthen social cohesion among communities. Second, it provides legal services, including legal awareness, counselling, and representation, to support individuals in accessing civil documentation, housing, land and property rights, and family law. Third, it invests in the capacity building of civil society organizations and institutions through training, technical support, and evidence-based advocacy, including engagement on the implementation of key national legal frameworks.
The project is expected to reach over 11,000 individuals through targeted services, including legal awareness sessions, counselling, and legal representation, as well as climate advocacy initiatives, training of trainers, and institutional support for public officials. Expected outcomes include improved access to rights and essential services, enhanced community capacity to manage conflicts non-violently, and a stronger role for civil society and institutions in promoting inclusive and sustainable solutions.
The intervention adopts a human rights-based approach that emphasizes participation and self-determination, recognizing and strengthening the leadership of local organizations and communities. Through a “partnership-first” model, Iraqi NGOs play a central role in implementation, fostering locally rooted, participatory, and sustainable processes. The project is implemented in collaboration with eight local and international partners and is supported by UKaid through the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), contributing to pathways for peaceful coexistence and long-term reintegration in Iraq.
In northern Lebanon, in the Palestinian refugee camps of Beddawi and Nahr el Bared, children face significant barriers to accessing safe spaces, social participation, and psychosocial well-being. The lack of inclusive educational and recreational opportunities affects their overall development and their ability to build positive relationships. The project "Promoting Resilience and Social Well-being through UNRWA Schools in North Governorate of Lebanon" was developed in this context with the aim of strengthening welcoming and accessible learning environments within UNRWA schools, where children and adolescents can engage in educational, sports, and cultural activities as tools for personal development and protection.
The project aims to strengthen the well-being, resilience, and social cohesion of Palestinian children and adolescents through inclusive school-based activities. Specifically, it seeks to improve psychosocial well-being through structured and safe activities, promote positive interaction and teamwork, expand access to sports, recreational, and cultural opportunities, and support the development of life skills, self-confidence, and resilience.
The activities will take place between February and November 2026 in four UNRWA schools (Jenin and Jordan River in Beddawi, and Al Manara and Jabal Tabbour in Nahr el Bared), involving approximately 3,000 students. The project includes sports, recreational activities, and music workshops for children and adolescents of all age groups, implemented in collaboration with the local partners Prima Materia and Beit Atfal Assumoud. During the summer break, dedicated activities and a final summer camp will be organized, with a focus on inclusion, well-being, and social cohesion.
The project aims to improve participants’ psychosocial well-being, self-confidence, and ability to cope with challenging situations. It is expected to increase access to safe and inclusive activities, strengthen interpersonal and collaborative skills, and encourage greater engagement in school life. The activities will also contribute to creating more cohesive and inclusive school environments by strengthening relationships among schools, families, and the wider community. More broadly, the project promotes the value of sports, music, and recreational activities as tools for education, inclusion, and community development, indirectly benefiting more than 12,000 people, including family members and local stakeholders.
As with all UPP initiatives, the project adopts a rights-based, people-centred, and self-determination-oriented approach, recognizing the fundamental role of communities and schools as spaces for protection and growth. The activities are designed to be inclusive and participatory, building on the capacities and aspirations of students while promoting relationships based on mutual respect and cooperation. The project is implemented with the support of the Italian Embassy and UNRWA, in collaboration with local partners, contributing to strengthening the capacity of educational institutions to deliver sustainable interventions that are responsive to the needs of the communities involved.
In Syria, which has been ravaged by years of conflict and crisis, the conditions of the health system continue to be unstable. Un Ponte Per has been working in the country at the service of its communities for over 15 years, with the aim of supporting them in their efforts to build a quality, public and accessible health system, in defiance of the continuous crises that the country is going through.
Despite this, there are still many people in need, especially with regard to free access to care.
This new humanitarian intervention, funded by the European Union and concentrated in the Governorate of Aleppo, aims to reach out to local populations, ensuring improved access to services for 310,000 people, 30% of whom are internally displaced, and 30% women and minors. The project also aims to strengthen the operational capacities of more than 370 health professionals and practitioners, as well as 35 local health authorities.
In the districts where UPP will operate, specific District Service Support Plans (DSSPs) for primary health care and referral services will be developed and approved in each. Primary health care facilities will be rehabilitated, equipped and made operational in line with the District Service Support Plans. Health information systems will be strengthened in the individual facilities, and integrated with the national DHIS2 (District Health Information Software) platform.
This will also make the mechanism for responding to emergencies and providing the necessary health supplies more effective. Community health initiatives in the facilities will be pursued to reach out to affected communities.
Thanks to the valuable support of the European Union, UPP will be able to guarantee assistance to the people in Syria until July 2029.
As part of the humanitarian response to the urgent needs of the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip, "Drops of Hope" project aims to ensure safe access to water and to alleviate the severe shortages faced by displaced families in particular.
The project aims to directly assist 200 displaced families in the Gaza Strip, focusing on the hardest hit areas - Rafah, Khan Younis, Deir al-Balah and Nuseirat - with limited access to essential services, through the supply and installation of 250-litre water tanks, responding to the urgent need for water supply in areas where homes and infrastructure have been destroyed.
Considering an average household size of five to six persons, the intervention aims to reach more than 200 families, amounting to over 1,000 individuals. Special attention will be paid to women, recognised as vulnerable groups, by promoting their dignity and hygiene conditions through the distribution of 150 Dignity Kits and information actions on personal hygiene and menstrual cycle management in emergency contexts.
"Drops of Hope" is part of a broader humanitarian intervention that Un Ponte Per, thanks to the work of its local partners, has been carrying out in the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the genocide committed by Israel. The project is being implemented in collaboration with the Italian association Yaku, which has been working for years in international cooperation projects that focus on water as a common good.
Ukraine faces ongoing devastation from Russia's full-scale invasion since February 2022, with OCHA's 2026 HNRP projecting 10.8 million people in need amid strikes, displacement, and winter challenges. Frontline oblasts like Kharkiv and Sumy face shelling, outages, and service gaps, leaving vulnerable groups in damaged homes. GBV, trauma, and MHPSS shortages plague millions. Over 1,700 children suffer from anxiety and isolation, with undertrained caregivers at burnout risk. Nearly 3,600 facilities are damaged, between them 371 schools have been destroyed.
The aim of the project “SPARK”, founded by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the International Cooperation (MAECI) through the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) is to contribute to provide life-saving multi-sectoral humanitarian assistance and access to essential services to the most vulnerable persons affected by the war in Ukraine, ensuring their safety and dignity, with a particular focus on areas with high levels of need. The intervention aims to improve the protection, mental health, and psychosocial well-being of conflict-affected populations - particularly children, women, and frontline communities - through integrated protection that includes tailored material assistance, MHPSS, and educational continuity services in Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts.
The project will provide legal assistance and advice to vulnerable groups, including survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) and internally displaced persons (IDPs); awareness-raising campaigns on gender-based violence and promotion of safe spaces; legal training for local professionals on rights and procedures in crisis situations to respond effectively to emergencies; distribution of essential goods (food kits, winter kits) and training to caregivers of Family Homes on psychosocial support, emergency psychology and psychological first aid.
The year 2025 marked the 25th anniversary of the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000), the cornerstone of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda. Yet, a quarter of a century later, the implementation of this agenda remains highly inadequate, in all its aspects (participation, protection, prevention, relief and recovery). Militarisation, military occupation, intervention by external actors and authoritarian governance have characterised the conflicts in Syria, Libya, Iraq and Lebanon. Here, women have been active as peace builders, human rights defenders and first responders, yet their participation continues to be undervalued, their protection insufficient and their rights systematically denied.
Civil society organisations in the SWANA region (South West Asia and North Africa) are central to promoting peacebuilding, protection and resilience, but operate under increasingly difficult conditions. The objective of the project is to promote the active participation of women and young people from civil society in Italy, the Middle East and North Africa, through protection, prevention and political empowerment actions, in line with resolution 1325 and in support of the implementation of the fifth Italian National Plan on Women, Peace and Security (2025-2029).
During the implementation of the project, four workshops will take place between the partner organisations in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Libya. The workshops will focus on the recognition of women's rights, particularly those belonging to minorities from a legal point of view. Starting from the analysis work carried out at the national level, the project will move on to the elaboration of a regional manifesto, highlighting cross-cutting issues in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Libya. The manifesto will be a summary document of the challenges women face in the region and will present a series of recommendations on actions to be taken in defence of women's rights and in line with the contents of the Women, Peace and Security agenda.
Two legal support and protection services will also be activated in Libya and Iraq for women activists, and for those in Iraq who faced the consequences of the reform on their personal status.
"Roots of Resilience" is a two-year project that aims to address the urgent needs of children affected by genocide, displacement and marginalised conditions through education, protection and psychosocial support.
The project supports two local partners: Ghassan Kanafani Association in Gaza, a Palestinian organisation with long experience in childhood education and psychosocial support, and Shatila Sport Center in Beirut.
In the Gaza Strip, genocide and forced displacement have severely affected the education and psychosocial wellbeing of children. Thousands of families have been forced to flee from northern Gaza and Gaza City to central and southern areas, including Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis.
Nutritious meals will be distributed, psychosocial support sessions will be ensured, educational materials and essential goods will be provided, while ensuring the continuity of educational and recreational activities by covering the salaries of the teaching staff.
In Lebanon, in the Shatila refugee camp, the project promotes the well-being and social inclusion of children and adolescents, mainly Palestinian and Syrian refugees, through sports activities.
Despite being out of the media spotlight, Lebanon continues to experience severe instability. Particularly in the southern areas, where Israeli bombardments since 2024 have never stopped, and the damage in terms of destroyed civilian structures and people still being displaced is being counted. The project fits into this delicate context, with the aim of involving 7 schools located in as many villages in the south of Lebanon, and in particular in the Governorates of Tyre and Nabatiyeh, areas that have been heavily affected by Israeli aggression during 2024, and still under pressure from repeated and continuous attacks.
The intervention, implemented together with a wide network of local partners, has 3 different components: the first focused on the rehabilitation of school buildings affected by the bombings, in order to renovate them and also make them more accessible and prepared for emergency responses, through the preparation of dedicated contingency plans for each school and specific training; the second component involves the integration of schooling paths that have been interrupted due to the conflict, through remedial classes, psychological support sessions, child protection interventions and emergency preparedness; finally, the third involves strengthening the skills of school staff in all these areas.
Despite significant legal progress in Jordan for persons with disabilities (PwD), women, men, boys and girls continue to face obstacles in meeting their needs and exercising their rights due to both an underfunded public system and socio-cultural and economic barriers.The demand for health services has increased over the years for the Syrian refugee community, putting pressure on the national health system, and costs remain very high. In this context, the provision of specialised services for people with disabilities remains a major concern. The aim of the project is therefore to contribute to improving the health status of Syrian refugee persons and the host community with disabilities, with particular attention to the plight of women and girls, by meeting their health needs. Furthermore, it is intended to increase access to home-based rehabilitation assistance and empower people with disabilities and their caregivers with self-help techniques in the provinces of Amman, Irbid and Zarqa. Home assistance will be provided, mobility aids will be distributed and specific training sessions will be organised for 261 people.
