Understanding Resilience in UNRWA Health Response to the Syrian Crisis: Lessons from Causal Loop Analysis

Abstract

1. Group model building gathers key stakeholders together to develop causal loop analysis of health system responses to experienced shocks. 2. Causal loop analysis can identify important resources and strategies supporting health system resilience. 3. Evidence of absorptive, adaptive, and transformative resilience capacities was demonstrated in UNRWA health response to the Syria crisis across Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. 4. Analysis highlights the importance of collateral pathways and redundancy; flexible governance and leadership practices; and an organizational culture that sees challenge as an opportunity for learning and innovation. 5. Such evidence has implications for other health systems seeking to integrate provision of services to refugee populations, as well as for UNRWA itself operating in a context of political instability.