It is not just the Syrian people who are getting used to a new political landscape after a coalition of opposition rebels launched a surprise offensive that toppled the 24-year rule of former president Bashar al-Assad in less than two weeks.
International aid agencies – well used to navigating the complexities of civil war, regional disputes, and regime change – are also trying to decipher the intentions of Syria's new leadership as they seek humanitarian aid. to keep flowing in a country where more than half of the population is dependent. on some kind of help.
“No one knew it was going to happen so quickly and so quickly,” said Kenn Crossley, the World Food Program (WFP) country director and representative for Syria.
“But once the first movement in Aleppo happened, it was very, very clear to see that the pattern was shaping up very quickly.”
It took just 11 days for opposition forces – starting at the end of last month, when they captured Aleppo, Syria's second largest city – to reach the capital, Damascus, on Sunday and depose Assad. from Humanitarian groups say that Assad's forces he killed more than 300,000 opponents and imprisoned thousands more in the civil war that began after the Arab Spring protests in 2011.
Crossley, a Canadian who has been in office for two years, was speaking to CBC News at the WFP offices, which are based, along with other United Nations agencies, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Damascus.
That's where it is Rebel soldiers were reportedly taken former Syrian prime minister Mohammed Ghazi al-Jalali for talks on the transfer of power after Assad fled the capital and was who received asylum in Russia.
Syria's new flag – now bearing three starschosen by the country's opposition groups – is posted on both sides of the hotel's glass entrance doors, and there is a clear layer of extra security beyond the usual hotel staff.
Kenneth Crossley, a Canadian who works with the World Food Program as their country director in Syria, says the United Nations agency is preparing for the best and worst-case scenarios after Assad's rule.
Aid organizations are under pressure to make requests for funding
Crossley said opposition messages were sent out early that humanitarian workers would be protected.
“So we didn't know who, we didn't know when, we didn't know exactly what, but we knew there would be changes coming,” he said.
“We have been promised that if and when change comes, not to panic. “
Humanitarian organizations working in Syria were assured by the rebel forces that ousted Bashar al-Assad that they would be protected, says Kenneth Crossley of the World Food Programme.
The The UN estimates that there are 16.7 million Syriansmore than 70 percent of the country's population, will be in need of some form of assistance in 2024. The WFP has just launched a campaign urgent request for funding to support up to 2.8 million displaced and vulnerable people in the country.
Funding cuts – attached return about 500,000 peopleMostly Syrians, fleeing the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in neighboring Lebanon, where they had sought refuge from the Syrian civil war – added to the pressure.
The insecurity that came in the early days of the fall of the Assad regime also led to widespread depletion of WFP warehouses. Fighting in different parts of the country also meant that aid convoys could not move safely.
“So these were unruly groups, men with guns,” Cross said. “You don't know if they were connected to any particular group, but a lot of men with a lot of guns. And they systematically burned our warehouses.”
Cross he said it's a different challenge in parts of northeastern Syria, where Turkish-backed opposition groups have been fighting Kurdish forces.
The WFP has offices in every governorate in Syria, which Crossley said allowed him to communicate with opposition forces when they moved.
“We could work with local non-governmental organizations establishing technical communication very, very quickly with new organizations coming into town, new authorities coming into town, to inform to them who we are (and) what we have done.”
A large amount of aid organizations warehouses were held while rebel forces fought against the Syrian regime. Aid convoys were also unable to move safely, Kenneth Crossley, country director in Syria for the World Food Program, told CBC News.
Uncertainty about the future
Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the leader of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rebel group, and his new appointees – including interim prime minister Mohammed al-Bashir – are working hard to of good organized management to devise, even in these early days.
Their approach to aid organizations on the ground certainly indicates a planned strategy.
Those Syrians who say they are willing to give al-Golani a chance to fulfill his promises often point to his approach to managing opposition strongholds in the north and his offensive style. the rebels.
“Idlib was well organized,” said Mahmoud Sayed Hasan outside the Hamidiyeh covered market in Damascus. “Then they entered Aleppo, then Damascus. It was also well organized. And this is what we hope for. A better country.”
But HTS, designated as a terrorist organization with many Western countries, including Canada and the US, also accused of enforcing the order with an iron glove. And the widespread joy seen across Syria at the departure of a brutal dictator does not mean that there is no concern about the future – whether the intentions of the country's new leaders or the ability to wage war break out between different parties trying to govern.
Crossley said he is “cautiously optimistic” about the future.
“There are still a lot of political negotiations going on. There is every chance that these things could go badly and there is every chance that these things could go well. I reserve judgment, but I'm trying to be ready for both situations.”
