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The Aid Fund for Syria (AFS) approved the funding of five grants for Special Allocation 2 (SA2), worth a total of US$ 4.56 million. These selected projects span the education, health, early recovery, food security, livelihoods, protection, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sectors. SA2 is the first allocation expanding into governorates beyond Idleb and Aleppo since the fall of the Assad regime, covering high-need locations in Homs, Aleppo, Idleb, and Rural Damascus governorates.
AFS carried out a series of community consultations across six communities in target governorates to inform the evaluation of proposals and ensure that SA2 priorities reflect community-identified recovery needs and incorporate gender- and disability-specific perspectives. These consultations engaged a gender-balanced cross-section of the population – including returnees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and persons with disabilities – through focus group discussions. Communities prioritised access to water, waste management, healthcare, education, electricity, and livelihoods, while emphasising transparent beneficiary targeting mechanisms and local service strengthening.
Joud Aldrobi, AFS Partnerships and Delivery Manager, who led the consultations, said: “Our presence on the ground and our ability to meet directly with people and hear their needs, especially in areas previously under regime control, is central to our approach to a truly community-led and accountable response”.