Syrian regime embezzles humanitarian aid, CSIS report denounces

In the al-Hol camp, northeastern Syria, July 22, 2019, collection of humanitarian aid packages provided by the UN (Image illustration).

Delil Suleiman/AFP

Text by: Murielle Paradon Follow

4 mins

While the Syrian conflict has lasted for more than ten years, the needs of the population are constantly increasing.

Western countries provide around $2.5 billion a year in aid.

But this aid is partly diverted by the Syrian regime, according to a report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a think tank based in Washington.

Interview with Natasha Hall, author of the report.

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RFI: You interviewed more than 130 people, UN officials, members of NGOs, negotiators and diplomats.

In your report, you talk about “

Natasha Hall:

We have known for a long time that Bashar al-Assad's regime is embezzling humanitarian aid.

We saw it for example when the government besieged hundreds of thousands of people and did not allow humanitarian organizations to have access to

.

And we always see it, when for example the regime redistributes aid to military units!

We also see manipulation in the sense that the Syrian government can hire whomever it wants, especially in humanitarian agencies.

He can co-opt, but also threaten or even kill local humanitarian workers.

The regime can also - and the United Nations has admitted this in response to my report - provide lists of people that humanitarian organizations can use.

It happens that some of these people are involved in human rights violations.

You interviewed many people, particularly at the UN.

Some officials admit their difficulties in working

No, it's not new.

There have been many reports, internal or external to the United Nations, on these problems, for at least six years.

And the recommendations that are made are not followed up.

This is not just a United Nations problem, it concerns the whole aid system.

There is no will to change because you cannot go against a government that gives you permission to stay or not on its territory.

Since the beginning, in 2011, the Syrian government has done everything to ensure that the humanitarian community makes compromises, even if it means going against its principles.

What are the concrete problems encountered by international NGOs in the field?

They are numerous.

For example, MSF (Médecins Sans Frontières) was never allowed to work in government areas because the regime wanted the organization to make a public commitment not to work outside government areas, which MSF refused. .

Other NGOs preferred to compromise to be registered in Damascus and work in government areas.

They had to make compromises with departments, certain individuals.

You also talk in your report about local NGOs whose staff are threatened or even killed.

Is this a significant phenomenon?

We often hear the UN Secretary General say that access to different populations in different areas is expanding.

But the people who distribute this aid are locals and the latter do not have the privilege, let's face it, of simply being expelled from the country.

These personnel who supervise humanitarian aid, who distribute it, can be threatened or even killed by the regime.

In this type of environment, it becomes almost impossible to establish aid evaluation programs, to draw up lists of beneficiaries, etc.

Is the international community aware of all this, because a lot of aid is given to Syria?

There is a sense of helplessness within the international community, real or not.

Unfortunately, this falls on the backs of the humanitarian organizations which have to deal with the absence of a political solution.

And they will have to face an increase in needs in the future, even if the conflict is perhaps less violent than before.

But countries that give aid to Syria and think it's the only thing they can do, have to take the problem seriously.

Aid evaluation and control mechanisms should be created, this is one of the recommendations I propose in my report.

In terms of diplomacy, trying to think about aid interference, and trying to secure ceasefires.

Because if the violence increases,

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• Syria

• Bashar al-Assad

• Humanitarian