The Role of International Organizations in the Syrian War: Responses, Challenges and Prospects

The outbreak of war in Syria in 2011 amidst the wave of socio-political upheavals in the MENA region, caused one of the worst humanitarian crises of the 21th century. During the past 8 years, the conflict has displaced more than 6.6 million people internally and seen more than 5.6 million Syrians scattering across its borders. The internationalized conflict turned into one of the world's most violent destructive wars. Therefore, the impact of war was not only internal, rather it has affected the neighboring and wider regions through the displacement of people, the rise of terrorism and policy dilemmas which was a result of lack of readiness and experience with such situations. The disastrous situation in Syria can be summaries by the words of Filippo Grandi, UNHCR High Commissioner when he said: "Syria is the biggest humanitarian and refugee crisis of our time, a continuing cause of suffering for millions which should be garnering a groundswell of support around the world". Dozens of IGOs and NGOs have taken role as players in the persistent humanitarian, security and political issues arising from the conflict. This role was challenged with the political disagreement and the nature of interaction between the local government, the civil society, the armed groups and the various international organizations. The recent 8 years was challenging for effective cooperation between the various donors concerned with providing help to Syria and the local societies and institutions. Moreover, the conflicting political interests was present and could influence the effectiveness of the work of IGOs whom hope was heavily given to. In this paper the author examines the role of several IGOs and NGOs as key players in the Syrian war. Highlighting their main contribution and suggested alternatives to consider in the future. It exclusively on their work in the humanitarian and security support and what better could be done for when they have failed.