Exploring the impact of international aid to isolated conflict zones: A critical study of aid delivery in opposition-controlled areas in Syria

The ongoing Syrian conflict constitutes a devastating humanitarian crisis affecting all areas of Syrian society. The destruction, brought about by the civil war, has impacted the country as a whole, particularly the opposition-controlled areas in the northwest (Wimmen, 2016; Shaban, 2020). There have been massive influxes of internally displaced people towards northwestern Syria, leading to pressure on resources, spread of camps, and a severe lack of aid to meet the needs of the local population and the displaced. As a result of this crisis, the international community has been providing aid to Syrians in the area. This aid has increased dramatically since 2011. To date, there is a lack of research that addresses international aid provision in northwest Syria because access to data is extremely limited. This study will investigate how providing international aid to communities trapped within isolated conflict zones poses profound challenges and risks. This research will bring together international experts, representatives from donors, INGOs and the local community in order to advance new knowledge and thinking on international aid in conflict zones. This study defines isolated conflict zones as regions experiencing wartime conditions, lacking government control, where residents are prohibited from either moving to other parts of the state or neighbouring countries. Opposition-controlled areas in northwest Syria represent a stark example, effectively cut off amidst ongoing violence and geopolitical paralysis. This research will foster interdisciplinary collaboration between local researchers and international academics and experts in order to obtain new data and better understanding of international aid in conflict zones. It provides an opportunity for me, as the Project Lead, and the local research assistants to enhance academic skills through international collaboration. Leading this project will promote my research independence as a Principal Investigator for the first time. This research project will employ a co-production and mixed methodology in order to answer the following five key research questions: RQ1: What are the challenges facing the provision of aid to the opposition-controlled areas in northwest Syria? RQ2: What are the positive and negative effects of international aid in the opposition-controlled areas in northwest Syria? RQ3: How have international conflicts and disputes over the Syrian issue affected the provision of aid to the isolated conflict zone in northwest Syria? RQ4: How has the case of northwest Syria changed donor policies in the region or in other conflict areas? RQ5: What new ways of providing aid to isolated conflict areas can be developed based on the Syrian case? How? Research Aims Creating a comprehensive and critical analysis to gain a broad and more accurate understanding of international aid in the opposition-controlled areas in northwest Syria. Examining donor policies, their influence, aid effectiveness, and the interplay of violence, sanctions, and donor priorities on civilian vulnerability in the study area, and evaluating the effectiveness of aid and whether the intended outcomes are being achieved. Documenting ways in which donors and multilateral organisations can coordinate to design and deliver aid, and outlining a range of practical modalities for aid delivery that can be applied in isolated conflict zones. Providing information about an isolated conflict zone to pave the way for other studies to be conducted in the future about the area and what can be learned for other conflicts.