ReliefWeb

Abstract

As part of a larger research project—Planning from the Future—which examines the past, present, and future of humanitarian action globally, this case study identifies the main blockages and game changers in the humanitarian response to the Syria crisis. Findings are based on reports, news sources, and academic writings, as well as key informant interviews with 52 representatives of donor countries, the United Nations, international NGOs and Syrian local organizations working inside Syria, cross-border, and within neighboring countries. The humanitarian system has largely failed in Syria. The scale of the conflict and humanitarian need constitute one of the largest crises of our time, and only a fraction of humanitarian needs are currently met by the system. Humanitarian action has been used as a fig leaf for political inaction and has been highly politicized and influenced by donor interests and political preferences, clashing with the application of first-order humanitarian principles. Meaningful protection continues to remain elusive and humanitarian leadership has been weak while mistrust within and between organizations runs high. Humanitarian actors are trapped by their mandates, and donors are risk averse. As a result, interventions are largely driven by what agencies can do, rather than what is needed. Those in the most need—the besieged, civilians under ISIS control, Palestinians—are the least served. Gulf countries, despite their presence and influence, are largely excluded from the Western-driven humanitarian systems, as are Syrian organizations, which are the primary humanitarian actors on the ground. Extreme insecurity and GoS restrictions have led nearly all humanitarian operations to follow remote management models. The middle-income status of neighboring countries has allowed for creative programming using cash, iris scanners, and the private sector, although these “innovations” were also late to the scene. Despite these failures, the Syria crisis has also shown how effective and inspiring local humanitarian responses can be, whether Syrian grass-roots initiatives, diaspora organizations’ action, the protective use of social media, civil society groups’ bravery, intricate and complex communication systems, or volunteers on the shores of Greece and in the Balkans.