Syria crisis could reform the current humanitarian system, says GPPi Director

The Syrian war could foster changes in the current humanitarian system, writes GPPi Director Julia Steets in a commentary published on 27 April 2014 in the Professionals in Humanitarian Assistance and Protection (PHAP) network. In the article, Steets analyzes the deadlock and fault-lines of humanitarian aid in Syria and argues that the situation presents an opportunity for reform in the humanitarian system.

According to Steets, humanitarian aid in Syria is being challenged by fragmentation between donors and frequent tests to established humanitarian principles. Currently, the humanitarian response is split along three main fault-lines: between organizations based in Syria and organizations in bordering countries, between organizations serving different groups, and between different assistance sectors.

This fragmentation has led to inequity and inefficiency in the humanitarian response to the Syria crisis. Furthermore, there are the dilemmas of working with organizations tied to the Syrian government and working with ​“non-traditional” humanitarian actors such as the neighboring states of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

Steets concludes that the humanitarian system has to get serious about dealing with local and non-traditional humanitarian actors. The United Nations will have to address these internal challenges more effectively while upholding the established humanitarian principles of impartiality and independence that are crucial to the credibility of the entire system.

Hopefully, says Steets, this impasse in Syria will lead the humanitarian community to realize the need to mend these divisions.