On April 22, 2014, the Brookings Doha Center (BDC), in collaboration with UNOCHA, held a humanitarian roundtable focused on the crisis in Syria at the Qatar Red Crescent Society headquarters in Doha. The roundtable convened Gulf state practitioners, UN officials, and representatives of international humanitarian organizations in order to: 1) foster an in-depth dialogue on the humanitarian work that is being undertaken by Gulf-based organizations and 2) enhance collaboration efforts between Gulf and international organizations such as the United Nations.
During the meeting, participants discussed the main challenges their organizations face in providing humanitarian aid to Syria, along with possible means of overcoming these obstacles. In general, these challenges fell into four broad categories: ensuring access to groups within Syria, engaging with local Syrian organizations, improving coordination and information-sharing between humanitarian groups, and contributing to effective advocacy on behalf of affected populations.
Read the full event briefing here.