Working Group Description

The Vulnerability Assessment Framework is an inter-agency initiative to put in place a system that supports the humanitarian community to: 1. establish a profile of vulnerability among Syrian refugee households and enables monitoring of changes in vulnerability over time; 2. target assistance in a more efficient and equitable manner, based on the application of common vulnerability criteria; 3. strengthen coordination and decision-making of the delivery of humanitarian assistance As the Syrian refugee crisis continues into its third year, across the humanitarian community there is increasing recognition that improved targeting of assistance is needed to use aid resources more effectively and equitably. The likelihood of a reduction of resources as the crisis goes on increases the urgency for establishing a mechanism by which the most vulnerable among the refugee population can be identified and prioritized for available assistance. At the beginning of this project in January 2014, information on vulnerability among the population provided a varied and incomplete picture. The terms 'vulnerable' and 'vulnerability' are common terms in aid and development, but their use is often vague, often being seen as substitutes for 'poor' and 'poverty'. Vulnerability has to be defined in terms of what it is that a population is considered to be vulnerable to and its definition therefore requires specificity. The use of different vulnerability criteria among agencies means that data is not comparable or able to be combined to form a comprehensive picture. In addition, many vulnerability measurements focus on hazards and risks while minimizing or omitting capacities for addressing them giving only part of the true full picture of vulnerability. At this stage of the humanitarian response a fuller and more nuanced picture of vulnerability is needed to inform humanitarian interventions.