More than 2060 licensed charities operate in Syria to distribute humanitarian aid and other charitable work, including care for the elderly, provision of health services, care for people with disabilities, homeless children, and others. The privileged among them network with international organizations to implement programs and provide aid.
According to sources at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor to Athr Press, the amount of aid that used to come from organizations decreased by 40% after the war in Ukraine. This was reflected in the quality of the aid baskets provided, and those who received them noticed that some of them decreased in value.
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The baskets vary between those provided by the Red Crescent and those provided by other associations. In many baskets, the oil quantity was reduced with the absence of canned food and beans, and the quantities of crushed lentils were reduced because their prices were high. Today, the price of the best basket provided every three months is about 200 thousand Syrian pounds. Work was organized in the distribution of baskets by sending messages before the distribution process.
The sources pointed out that the role of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor is limited to licensing associations and monitoring their work without providing any financial or in-kind assistance to them, meaning that its role is supervisory only and does not interfere in the services provided.
Association “Saaed”
The founder of the “Saaed” Development Association and Chairman of its Board of Directors, Issam Habbal, explained to Athr that “most of the associations depend for their funding on international organizations that provide them with various types of relief such as clothing, heating, medicine, food baskets and others. These organizations reduced their aid to the Syrian people after the war in Ukraine. All associations and civil society must prepare for a time when we will not have a share of this international aid, and we must rely on ourselves and donors from the local community. The community must contain associations to continue its work.”
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
