« Syria : government policies co-opt aid and reconstruction funding »

Eight years into the Syrian conflict, hundreds of thousands have been killed, millions displaced, and the country’s infrastructure completely devastated crippling most of the country and creating immense humanitarian needs. Rebuilding Syria’s infrastructure is crucial to providing Syrians with their basic rights, including access to health, education, and shelter. But an abusive state apparatus, coupled with lack of access and transparency, translates into significant risks that the Syrian government will use aid to further human rights abuses and prevent it from reaching individuals that need it.

This report examines policies around the provision of humanitarian assistance and reconstruction funding to Syria during the conflict and finds that the Syrian government has often rigged the system for provision of humanitarian aid and reconstruction funding. It argues that urgent reforms should be implemented, or donors, investors, and organizations risk finding themselves effectively financing a machinery of repression. It provides recommendations for how the provision of aid and reconstruction funding can become more rights-compliant.

To attend the news conference and schedule interviews, please RSVP to:
Charbel Salloum (English, Arabic): +961-1-217-670/2, ext 16; or sallouc@hrw.org