IOM – International Organization for Migration

Published purpose

March 2021 - Years of active conflict and displacement inside Syria have resulted in severe protection risks, including widespread sexual and gender-based violence for millions of conflicted-affected people. Sexual exploitation and abuse of beneficiaries by humanitarian aid workers is a serious concern for the international humanitarian and development community and represents one of the most egregious failures of protection. The prevention of and response to sexual exploitation and abuse by aid workers on beneficiaries is a priority of the United Nations Secretary-General and the international community to ensure that assistance does not harm beneficiaries. With GAC’s support, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is maintaining and expanding the systematic inter-agency approach between humanitarian organizations to prevent and respond to sexual exploitation and abuse of beneficiaries by aid workers within Syria. Project activities include: (1) strengthening codes of conduct of aid workers within humanitarian organizations; (2) developing and strengthening a community-based complaints mechanism for complainants/survivors that have been sexually exploited and/or abused by aid workers; and (3) establishing and strengthening networks amongst humanitarian organizations inside Syria to manage the prevention of and response to sexual exploitation and abuse on beneficiaries by aid workers.