Syrian community in UK provides aid to places UN struggles to reach - new report

Syrians in the UK are saving thousands of lives by getting aid into war torn districts of their homeland which international charities struggle to reach.

Local charities are among hundreds of groups around the world who have ‘filled the gap’ left by the limited presence of over-stretched international aid agencies, providing both assistance and protection to Syrians, says a new report launched today by UK-based think tank the Overseas Development Institute (ODI).

Diaspora and local Syrian groups have been successful in delivering medical supplies, support for orphans, cash, food, water and sanitation and mental health programmes to those living in Syria. But these local groups struggle from a lack of money, and inflexible systems which make it hard for donors to fund them directly – despite having access to beleaguered populations.

They also face being tarnished with accusations of participating in or funding terrorist activities. Individual high-profile cases of jihadis who have travelled to Syria via Turkey, posing as humanitarians, have tainted the reputation of diaspora groups. In the UK, this has led some to rein in public fund-raising activities for fear of controversy.

The ODI report claims that it is necessary to find better ways for international aid agencies and local groups to work together and says we could be seeing the emergence of a new aid model.

“Armed groups in Syria are often more willing to negotiate access with local and diaspora groups than international aid agencies as they share personal and tribal contacts and often come from the same communities,” said Eva Svoboda, researcher from the ODI’s Humanitarian Policy Group and author of the report ‘International and local/diaspora actors in the Syria response’.

“Although it may be difficult to trust new and ‘non-traditional’ humanitarian providers, it is important for international aid organisations and donors to take diaspora groups seriously and form equal partnerships with those that are genuinely seeking to provide aid to war-torn areas,” added Svoboda.

The Syria conflict has resulted in 191,000 deaths, and three million people fleeing to neighbouring countries. There are 12.2 million people in need of humanitarian assistance in Syria.