Lead Consultant – Multi-Sector Needs Assessment and Market Study

After more than thirteen years of crisis, the Syrian Arab Republic remains one of the most complex and protracted humanitarian emergencies worldwide. As of 2025, 16.7 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance, the highest figure since the onset of the crisis. Needs are driven by a convergence of factors, including continued hostilities in certain areas, widespread displacement, the collapse of public infrastructure, economic deterioration, and the impact of external shocks such as regional instability and climate-related stressors. The Education, WASH, Shelter, and Livelihoods sectors are among the most severely affected:
• Education: More than one in three schools are damaged, destroyed, or otherwise non-functional, while economic hardship forces many children out of school and into the labor force. Shortages of qualified teachers, inadequate learning materials, and overcrowded classrooms further compromise learning outcomes and protection.
• WASH: Access to safe and reliable water remains limited. Damaged networks, rising fuel prices, and reduced institutional capacity have left many communities dependent on unsafe or costly alternatives. Poor sanitation infrastructure and inadequate hygiene practices increase the risk of waterborne diseases, particularly among children.
• Shelter: Millions of displaced persons and returnees live in substandard, overcrowded, or unsafe shelters. Damaged housing stock, limited access to construction materials, and economic barriers prevent families from achieving adequate living conditions.
• Livelihoods: Economic contraction, hyperinflation, high unemployment, and reduced access to markets continue to undermine household resilience. Families increasingly resort to negative coping mechanisms, while opportunities for sustainable employment or income generation remain scarce. Humanitarian actors have emphasized the importance of area-based, multisectoral assessments to inform programming that addresses interlinked vulnerabilities.
Furthermore, the protracted nature of the crisis highlights the need for market-sensitive, early recovery approaches that support resilience while addressing immediate humanitarian needs. Despite numerous assessments conducted by UN and NGO partners, critical information gaps remain. 
HAND – Human Aid & Development, leveraging its operational presence and partnerships, aims to bridge these information gaps through a comprehensive Multi-Sector Needs Assessment (MSNA) and Market Study, covering Rural Damascus, Homs, Aleppo, and Idleb.
This initiative will provide:
• A robust evidence base for program design and donor engagement.
• Actionable, sector-specific recommendations to guide humanitarian and early recovery interventions. • Data that strengthens coordination with clusters and contributes to national and sub-national response planning.
By commissioning this study, HAND reaffirms its commitment to evidence-based, community driven, and market-aware programming, ensuring that support to vulnerable populations is both relevant to immediate needs and aligned with longer-term recovery priorities.