CFPs: Improving Community Disaster Reduction Response in Informal Settlements in Syria

Deadline: 22-Jun-25

The UN-HABITAT is inviting proposals for its project titled “Improving Community Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in Informal Settlements in Homs and Aleppo” under UN-Habitat’s Integrated Post-Earthquake and Early Recovery Project, launched in response to the February 2023 earthquake that severely affected informal settlements in these cities.

Focusing on the neighborhood of Al-Bayada in Homs and Al-Fardos neighborhood in – Bab Al Nyrab Service Directorate in Aleppo, the project aims to build urban community-based resilience by enhancing local preparedness and response capacity for future disasters. This effort forms part of a broader, integrated recovery strategy led by UN-Habitat in Syria.

Objectives

• The project focuses on a series of soft activities organized under two main objectives:
  • Strengthening the capacity of urban informal settlements’ communities in Homs and Aleppo to respond to disasters and shocks.
  • Facilitating participatory Hazard Vulnerability Risk Analysis and Assessment (HVRA) within targeted neighborhoods.

Purpose

• UN-Habitat is intending to enhance the urban community-based resilience in the areas of DRR in Al Bayada neighborhood in Homs and Al-Fardos neighborhood in the Bab Al Nayrab Service Directorate in Aleppo. Consequently, fostering the readiness of the communities of these neighborhoods to effectively respond to potential disaster might encounter these communities.
• The intervention seeks to achieve this by providing training in areas such as Rescue, Emergency Preparedness, preliminary psychosocial support, schools safety, and Evacuation procedures. Another objective is to empower these community-based teams to actively participate in their neighborhoods and assist in conducting hazard vulnerability risk assessments for the purpose of development disaster plan. This will support the reintegration of returning residents, with a particular focus on women, youth, and individuals with disabilities.
• Ultimately, the intervention aims to strengthen the community’s capacity to contribute to a resilient recovery plan of these neighborhoods and strengthen their preparedness to disaster response, which has been affected by a prolonged crisis and earthquake. The implementing partner will collaborate with local, community and stakeholders to select team members from each of the identified locations in the two governorates to be master trainers and lead the process of DRR in their neighborhoods.

Funding Information

• The maximum proposed value is US$: 175,000.
• Estimated duration of the project: Six Months.

Expected Outcomes

• The expected outputs of the project are as follows:
  • A local community volunteers’ groups (15 – 25 community Volunteers) is formed and trained to support the training of other volunteers of (20 – 40 members in each selected Governorates of Homs and Aleppo) on subjects of community outreach and Community Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM).
  • An interactive Facebook page for monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of the project is being set up for volunteers and the community to use.
  • Conduct Hazard Vulnerability Risk Assessment workshops; and based on that, develop Disaster Risk Management Plans including evacuation plans for every targeted neighborhood in Homs and Aleppo.

Eligible Activities

• The IP shall be undertaking main activities as follows:
  • Draft the selection criteria and ToR of community-based volunteers’ teams. Discussed and agreed with UN-Habitat, for Homs and Aleppo.
  • Support formulating the local community volunteers’ teams in both Homs and Aleppo.
  • The IP is requested to describe the proposed process of selection of volunteers.
  • Conduct training the first local community volunteers’ teams on CBDRM. With the support of first trained teams, the IP will expand teams and train on the same topics. In the Proposal, the IP is requested to provide the proposed contents, methodology and implementation process of each training.

Eligibility Criteria 

• Legal Status:
  • Certificate of registration/incorporation i.e.,
  • Proof of registration in Country of Origin.
  • Proof of registration of Country of operation
  • Proof of the country’s operational presence
• Organization profile and details:
  • Clear organization profile and structure of the organization indicating:
    • Organization’s vision, mission, and objectives
    • Management structure
    • Members of the Governing Board and their Designations duly certified by the Corporate Secretary, or its equivalent document.
    • Proof of membership to professional associations if any.

For more information, visit UN-HABITAT.