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GENEVA, Dec. 12-- UN agencies and NGO partners on Tuesday released a 4.4-billion-U.S.dollar plan designed to support more than 5 million refugees from Syria and the vulnerable communities hosting them in neighboring countries. The plan is known as the 2018 Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan (3RP), said Adrian Edwards, UN refugee agency spokesperson at a regular briefing in Geneva. "Seven years on, the conflict in Syria continues -- devastating lives and forcing millions to flee from their homes. "Despite the generosity showed by neighboring countries, most Syrian refugee families -- and many in their host communities -- fall below the poverty line and struggle to meet basic needs," said Edwards. The 3RP aims to help 5.3 million refugees and 3.9 million members of host communities in 2018 in various sectors, including protection for refugee populations, education, health, food security, livelihoods, and water and sanitation services. The plan brings together some 270 humanitarian and development partners, in support of national efforts, to ensure refugees and host communities receive the support they desperately need. "The conflict in Syria continues to drive the largest refugee crisis in the world," said Amin Awad, UNHCR director for the Middle East and North Africa Bureau and Regional Refugee Coordinator for Syria and Iraq. "While we hope that a political solution is soon on the horizon, it is vital that we continue our support to Syrian refugee families whose needs and challenges increase with every passing year in displacement," he noted. | 
