Aid inside Syria: Time to go small in a bigger way

Since the Syrian conflict began, Syrian non-governmental organisations based in Turkey that focus on humanitarian aid inside Syria have grown in organisational and operational capacity. Through training and support from the United Nations and international non-governmental organisations, many groups are now able to deliver aid in line with international standards and have also gained acceptance in the international humanitarian aid structure, in addition to 6 years of “on the ground” experience in delivering aid. Syrian non-governmental organisations are staffed primarily by Syrians, many of whom work on the ground to support their own communities. They know the context as it evolves and maintain the best understanding of community needs and how to adapt programming accordingly.

Due to these factors, this paper argues that the time is ripe for donors and operational agencies to make the humanitarian response in Syria “as local as possible.”