This issue therefore focuses – as did the 2014 issue – on displacement from and within Syria.

This important issue of Forced Migration Review draws our attention to the current challenges facing displaced Syrians and the continuing search for solutions.

What does dignity mean to Syrian refugees and practitioners? And what can humanitarian organisations do – or abstain from doing – to help Syrians preserve and protect their dignity?

Local non-governmental organisations in Lebanon's Bourj al-Barajneh camp face challenges in responding to the complex needs of three different refugee groups.

Refugee-led humanitarian initiatives by 'established' Palestinian refugees in response to the arrival of 'new' displaced Syrians to Shatila camp raise key questions. Refugee-led humanitarian initiatives by 'established' Palestinian refugees in response to the arrival of 'new' displaced Syrians to Shatila camp raise key questions about the limitations of the humanitarian system and representations of refugees as passive victims.

Responses to crises in Lebanon's Beka'a region in 2017 show that refugee-hosting municipalities can be a pillar of peaceful coexistence and must be supported.

Approximately 60,000 Syrians are trapped in 'the Berm', a desolate area on the Syria-Jordan border. When security concerns are prioritised over humanitarian needs and aid agencies turn to militant groups to deliver aid, the consequences can be deplorable.

Vulnerability assessments are used by humanitarian actors to identify those at greater risk of harm but their use in the response to displaced Syrians in Lebanon is problematic.

Humanitarian efforts to build a model refugee camp when constructing Azraq camp in Jordan – drawing on what was supposed to have been learned in Za'atari camp – missed crucial aspects of Za'atari's governance.

In Jordan, the specific health needs of older Syrian refugees tend to be overlooked, due in part to a lack of data, institutional biases and the nature of the humanitarian response. Older refugees are often a neglected population, particularly when it comes to health. In Jordan, the specific health needs of older Syrian refugees tend to be overlooked, due in part to a lack of data, institutional biases and the nature of the humanitarian response.