Moving from emergency (short-term intervention) to sustainability (long- term intervention) in response to disasters

Rapid and effective interventions are crucial from governments and organizations at different levels, especially within the humanitarian field, in the response to both natural disasters and armed conflicts. In other words, disaster response largely depends on the nature or type of disaster, then duration. The suffering of Syrian IDPs in their tents has continued for many years, despite the presence of many bodies and organizations working on the ground. But it seems that the problem is not the presence of anyone responding to the disaster as much as it relates to the type of this response and the preparation for it before it occurs. Initially conceived as emergency structures, these camps have evolved into semi-permanent settlements, prompting questions about their sustainability. The research problem focuses on the need for an effective response to the protracted humanitarian crisis within internally displaced persons (IDP) camps in Syria. Specifically, the focus is on camps in Dana, Harim, Jarablus, Azaz, and Al Bab. The research strives to explain the reasons behind the apparent lapse in applying disaster risk reduction (DRR) techniques in long-term IDP scenarios. This necessitates a recalibration of humanitarian strategies to address the multifaceted challenges of the protracted conflict and the resiliency of these camps in the face of natural disasters. A structured survey instrument comprising 22 questions was meticulously designed to capture nuanced insights from a representative sample of 350 IDPs residing in Syrian camps. However, only 305 participants in the five camps gave responses to them. The data underwent thorough analysis using SPSS software, employing descriptive and inferential statistical techniques. The findings underscore the paramount importance of the transparent structure of the organizations working on the ground, effective communication channels, meaningful refugee involvement in decision-making processes, establishing capacity-building initiatives, classifying the camps on the ground, and advocacy towards depends on private funds/donations. These factors are essential to cultivating a secure environment for Syrian refugees, facilitating the transition from emergency (short-term intervention) to sustainability (long-term intervention). Keywords: Camps, emergency, long-term, protracted, short-term, tents, vulnerable.