Vulnerability of Humanitarian Aid Delivery in Syria

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Syria Humanitarian Aid
INGOs appeals for more humanitarian assistance to Syria.

The civil conflict in Syria continues to cause vast and systematic human misery. According to reports, around 14.6 million Syrians require humanitarian help.

This is the largest number since the beginning of the war. Nearly 14 million Syrians have fled their homes, and more than 12 million are starving.

Civilian killings are ongoing by attacks and weapons, and fundamental services are being destroyed. The country is still dealing with an escalating economic crisis, rising food and fuel prices, as well as rising unemployment.

The Syrian government and the international community continue to be anxious about the country’s humanitarian disaster. There has been no hint of meaningful diplomatic progress in resolving the country’s prolonged dilemma.

Humanitarian progress, on the other hand, continues to be enormous. International NGOs have served as a light of hope for the Syrian people and the rest of the globe. Humanitarian aid has helped to alleviate suffering and restore hope in the country.

Northeast, Syria
USAID provides humanitarian aid to more than 5 million Syrians each month.

The lives of citizens are being jeopardized, despite the humanitarian assistance by INGOs.  This is due to the vulnerability in the delivery of humanitarian aid.

The distribution of humanitarian aid is a source of concern not only for Syrian citizens but also for the refugees. INGOs continue to strive to meet the needs of people despite the fact that access points are dwindling.

Civilians received tons of food, housing, hygiene, and health products as a result of humanitarian operations. However, airstrikes and shelling are destroying refugee camps, schools, medical facilities, and even humanitarian deliveries.

Northwest, Syria
Northwest Syria: Schools and Children attacked by intense shelling.

This is continuing to harm civilians, instilling fear and hindering efforts to improve Syria’s educational condition. There have been reports of killings, for example, in Syrian camps such as the Al Hol camp, which houses displaced people.

This camp houses 56, 000 civilians. The vast majority of them are women and children. In addition, displaced people, including children and their mothers, are held in prisons and camps that resemble prisons.

Rojava,Northeast Syria
Over a dozen people were arrested in the Al-Hol camp amid a violent-conflict surge.

Millions of people, such as those in the Rukban camp, are unable to get humanitarian aid. For over three years, Assad’s dictatorship has prevented UN supplies from entering the camp.

Rukban Camp: Memorial park of Children | Assad regime closing the border, blocking medical and food supplies from entering the camp.

Thus, these displaced people do not appear to have access to humanitarian supplies. As long as displaced women and children are unable to access their services, these people will continue to suffer in spite of humanitarian assistance from INGOs.

Humanitarian support must ensure that these people are not left behind and aid must reach them. Apart from that, the politics of assistance delivery continues to hamper humanitarian relief delivery in Syria.

Donor organizations have been unable to pay for non-essential items such as early recovery help as a result of this. Humanitarian assistance efforts must ensure the de-politicization of aid distributions.

There is a need to give aid packages security assurances to ensure that the aid products arrive at their intended destination. Furthermore, US sanctions have deterred donors and hampered assistance distribution.

The UN Security Council appears to be oblivious to the repercussions of the US’s unilateral sanctions. Early recovery programs in regime-controlled areas have grown increasingly difficult to implement.

It is important to remember that when early recovery aid reaches the intended recipients, it raises the living standards of people. However, the US has not shied away from stating that the provision of humanitarian assistance is a significant aspect of its agenda.

The $808 million in additional humanitarian aid announced at the sixth Brussels Conference is a clear signal. Moreover, the disparity of international players’ opinions on Resolution 2585 is a major source of worry about humanitarian relief delivery.

The resolution supports early rehabilitation and reconstruction projects. It also aids in the delivery of fundamental services. In light of this, the international community continues to struggle with the implementation of early recovery and reconstruction programs.

There has been a lack of agreement among states involved in Syria to carry out all parts of Resolution 2585. Therefore, international players must address this morass. They must ensure that aid reaches all those in need.

The international community must act with pace and increase the Syrian humanitarian process. They must act with urgency and come up with approaches that curb these vulnerabilities. INGOs must continue to reaffirm their commitments to helping the Syrian people.

INGOs must continue to provide more humanitarian support to lessen the suffering and bring some hope to the country. There is no better time than now for countries to start emphasizing the importance of unhindered humanitarian assistance.

The country is in great need of cross-line humanitarian aid delivery. Countries, leaders, and the international community must re-authorize cross-border humanitarian aid deliveries.

Likewise, INGOs must re-authorize cross-line aid and early recovery projects. Continued commitment to helping the Syrian people emerge from the humanitarian crisis is critical. Both positive and negative peace is something that Syria has yearned for, for decades.

 

*The writer is a Research Fellow at The Diplomatic Insight and Institute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies

**The Diplomatic Insight does not take any position on issues and the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Diplomatic Insight and its staff.