Full Description
International aid to Syria is at an inflection point. Operationalizing humanitarian principles and securing ceasefires would allow the aid community to close gaps in coverage and move toward making communities more resilient, helping stabilize the region. Failing to do so will exacerbate the deprivation and oppression that started the war, prolonging instability far into the future. This CSIS report delves into the challenges to aid provision throughout Syria and recommends a way to overcome them. It is based on interviews with over 130 UN officials, aid workers, negotiators, diplomats, and analysts working on the aid response, as well as a review of databases, open-source documents, and internal reports and evaluations.
Contents
Executive Summary VI
Introduction 1
Methodology 4
Areas Controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces 5
Aid Response Today 7
Challenges and Opportunities with the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria 9
The Outsized Influence of the Syrian Government 12
Strategic Consequences of the Status Quo 14
Opposition-Controlled Areas 16
Aid Response Today 18
Challenges with Local and Turkish Authorities 20
Challenges with Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham Control 22
Strategic Consequences of the Status Quo 26
Government-Controlled Areas 30
Aid Response Today 32
Systematic Manipulation of the Syrian Government 35
Strategic Consequences of the Status Quo 40
Conclusion 42
Recommendations 45
Informed Actions 46
Diplomacy and Negotiations 47
Resilience 49
Facilitation of Aid 51
About the Author 53
Endnotes 54
