A complex humanitarian emergency in Syria of more than 13 years, had led to the near collapse of the country’s economy and its physical infrastructure. This crisis was exacerbated by the 2023 earthquakes, and is far from being over. In fact it is getting worse. Today, Syrians are unable to provide the most basic needs for themselves and their family members. They are left with limited choices: buy food or pay rent; buy medicine or send their children to school. For millions, even these simple choices are no longer an option. Taking care of one’s health and purchasing warm winter clothes are the   vaguely remembered luxuries of a distant past.  Constant conflicts and widespread poverty, combined with the international community’s unwillingness to fund needed disaster risk reduction programmes[1], early recovery and  reconstruction have taken a toll on the Syrian people. If not addressed, critical looming challenges threaten to significantly worsen the already dire situation of the Syrian people.

The overlap of Unilateral Coercive Measures (UCMs), sanctions imposed on the country in 2011 by other states, with these multiple crises have created a shortage of essential goods and major restrictions on financial flows. This has led to skyrocketing prices, the loss of purchasing power, and an extremely high rate of  unemployment[2]. Today, an  estimated 90 percent of Syrians live below the poverty  line.[3] The cost of living, as measured by the Minimum Expenditure Basket (MEB), has more than doubled compared to this period in 2023, a 122 percent  increase. The Syrian Pound (SYP) remains relatively weak in 2024 and has lost more than half its value on the parallel market.

In addition to natural and political factors, the direct, indirect, accumulative and combined impact of UCMs will perpetuate the impoverishment and suffering for the population of the country without affecting their officially intended targets.

Members of the ACT Alliance Syria Forum[4] include national and international organizations that have operated in Syria since 1994. In this letter submitted to the Brussels conference, the Forum  would like to address important matters that are much needed to alleviate the suffering of more than 16.7 million Syrians needing humanitarian assistance[5] within Syria as well as its neighboring countries.

Regional Impact

Since October 2023, the escalation of hostilities in northwest Syria has led to unprecedented levels of suffering, as reported in the 2024 Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO). This includes numerous casualties, forced displacements, and the destruction of critical infrastructure. Given a level of destruction and suffering not seen since 2019, proxy conflicts and internationally-supported military actions persist in various parts of the country. Increased airstrikes have been observed on civilian facilities (airports), vital infrastructure and civilian neighborhoods in and around Damascus where international non-governmental organizations operate, affecting the delivery of essential humanitarian support.

In Northeast Syria (NES), civilian infrastructure, such as power and water stations, have been deliberately targeted. This has severely undermined the region’s ability to meet people’s essential needs, especially in harsh winter weather. The effects of the attacks are expected to continue as the infrastructure requires extensive repairs beyond the capabilities of humanitarian organizations.

In Northwest Syria, clashes between the Government of Syria and non-state armed groups continues. This has led to forced displacement of civilians and is obstructing access to vital services. Civilian infrastructure, including healthcare facilities and schools, continues to be targeted by airstrikes and shelling, increasing the humanitarian crisis in the region.

Reduced Funding

Funding to support the Syrian crisis was substantially reduced in 2022. ACT Alliance members operating in Syria made the difficult decision to choose between delivering food, or medicine or shelter. These basic needs must be met and more support must be allocated to humanitarian organizations working within Syria. The international community is urged to distinguish between the political and humanitarian aspects of the crisis and ensure that the human rights of the Syrian people come first.

Unilateral Coercive Measures

Organizations operating in Syria today still face significant limitations in designing their activities. They face restrictions in the selection of local suppliers and service providers. Excessive compliance requirements create challenges in access to international procurement and receiving funds.

The December 2022 United Nations Security Council Resolution 2664 provides broad humanitarian exemptions meant to mitigate the impact of counter terrorist measures on the delivery of humanitarian aid. In the spirit of this Resolution we ask for humanitarian exemptions to be systematic, clear, and harmonized between jurisdictions. The Unilateral Coercive Measures negatively impact the delivery of humanitarian support by delaying the response. This reduces its potential and increases both its cost and the daily hardships faced by the Syrian people.

We call for:

○      A comprehensive revision of the sanctions’ framework from a legal perspective, conforming with both International Law and International Humanitarian Law to avoid any breach.

○      A sincere analysis of the sanction’s intended, unintended and counterproductive impacts on the Syrian people from a humanitarian perspective.

The ACT Alliance Syria Forum denounces the double standards shown following the 2023 earthquake that greatly affected Syria and Turkey. We urge the international community and the European Union to see the restrictions and pre-conditions imposed on reconstruction-related activities from a humanitarian perspective rather than a political lens. We call on the international community to support national and international organizations that are re-establishing access to essential infrastructures to meet the basic needs of the Syrian people.

Renewed International Commitments

The ACT Alliance in Syria, Jordan and Lebanon also request renewed international commitments to long-term actions for refugees and host communities which are centered on empowering their agency and autonomy. This includes – but is not restricted to – inclusion, income generation and labour market participation.  Ensure that the needs and preferences of refugees and vulnerable populations are reflected in national response plans, compensation schemes, and economic packages as well as social protection schemes supported by international financial institutions and that such commitments translate into inclusion in service provision. There is also a dire need for more funding as the needs are ever growing.

We urge the Brussels conference and the international community to understand how coercive measures, the lack of funding and aid politicization have and continue to hinder the delivery of a principled, timely and efficient humanitarian response which the population of Syria is entitled to, and to take the necessary actions to tackle those challenges.

Download the statement  here

As Christians, we witness the ongoing barbarities in Gaza with heavy hearts.

The atrocities we see daily challenge international humanitarian law and our Christian principles of compassion, solidarity, dignity, respect, inclusion, and justice. It is unacceptable that faith-based and civil society organizations providing humanitarian assistance in Palestine face barriers to delivering life-saving assistance to those in desperate need. It is also unsufferable that many churches and people of faith remain silent and don’t denounce what is going on in Gaza. We must clearly state that “Enough is enough!” Denying millions of Palestinian people access to the essentials for their survival, is an outrage. Aid agencies report that half a million people in Gaza are on the brink of starvation, while the entire population of 2.3 million faces acute food shortages. Despite compelling evidence, the international community has yet to take decisive action to prevent the worst.

If not the institutions that bear a strong moral compass, like the churches, then who else will raise their voices to denounce these injustices against humanity? It is our collective responsibility to advocate for compassion, inclusion, and justice, based on our intrinsic moral responsibility. As Christians, we are obligated to manifest the interconnectedness of peace and security with our beliefs, in the context of our economic, social, and political life together. Our theological  positions should find pragmatic expression in our actions to denounce injustices and announce the Good News. The cries of present hardships in Gaza and the lack of political will to ensure long-lasting peace resonate in the heavens. The urgent calls for aid serve as a rebuke against any notion that our Christian and faith-based institutions bear no responsibility to advocate alongside those in distress. We must  champion peace and justice by using our influence, values, and moral authority to foster dialogue, reconciliation, and respect for human dignity among the conflicting parties. We must demand, as humanitarian faith-based organizations, to be able to deliver humanitarian assistance free from barriers.  We can use our platforms to advocate, as we know that our guidance can shape public opinion and encourage positive actions.

There is no peace without justice, nor justice without peace.

A superficial peace that ignores underlying injustices is fragile and unsustainable. True peace requires addressing the root causes of the conflict in Palestine, ensuring fairness, the application of international conventions and the upholding of human rights. Pursuing justice through violent means perpetuates cycles of revenge and conflict, therefore, justice must be pursued in ways that promote reconciliation, healing, and stability.

The disproportionate response by the Israeli armed forces to the massacre carried out by Hamas on October 7, 2023 has moved beyond what can reasonably be called “self-defense.” The right to self-defense has its limits in international law and in the principles we collectively depend on to enable humanitarian access and assistance. These have now been massively eroded.

The International Criminal Court (ICC), is currently analyzing South Africa’s genocide case against Israel. As faith-based organizations committed to international law we support the Court in its crucial and difficult work.  However, protecting civilians from the scourge of conflict and war crimes is everybody’s responsibility.

Religious leaders and actors have a significant responsibility in actively preventing atrocities. In line with the ACT Alliance engagement in the “Plan of Action for Religious Leaders and Actors to Prevent Incitement to Violence that could lead to Atrocity Crimes”, and the promotion of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, we are called to work towards the prevention of atrocities and genocide.

We have a duty to speak out.

Therefore, we call on all ACT Alliance members and their related churches to proactively engage to stop the atrocities and promote peace and dignity for the people affected by the conflict. This includes:

• Call for an immediate ceasefire to allow aid into Gaza, protect civilians, and uphold human rights;
• Call on their government to take decisive action to prevent further suffering in Gaza and advocate for increased humanitarian assistance and support for the Gaza’s population, particularly for those on the brink of starvation, the sick and injured.
• Call on churches and religious leaders to break their silence and speak out against the injustices in Gaza and to mobilize and support efforts for peace, justice, and humanitarian assistance;
• Urge the conflicting parties to allow unhindered access for humanitarian organizations to deliver life-saving assistance;.
• Appeal to all parties involved in the conflict to adhere to international humanitarian law and to prioritize the protection of civilians;
• Call  for an immediate ceasefire and the reopening of a dialogue towards a lasting peace agreement;
• Stress the significant responsibility of religious leaders in denouncing the risk factors of genocide and preventing atrocities;
• Call on religious leaders to use their moral authority to advocate for peace, justice, and the protection of human rights in Gaza;
• Support efforts towards accountability and justice through legal mechanisms such as the International Criminal Court.

Gender Justice and Civic Space are two sides of the same Coin 

Roosa Rantala, Advisor for Human Rights and Advocacy, Felm 

Many of us know the background; the achievements regarding gender justice made over the decades have been driven back in many ways, from sexual and reproductive rights to the realization of the rights of sexual and gender minorities.  

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has expressed his worry that gender equality is 300 years away – and the target is growing more distant. Discriminatory actions hinder countries’ possibilities of achieving sustainable development goals: when the world is not on the right track to achieve gender equality, it becomes impossible to overcome other development challenges. 

Women are lead actors in enhancing positive development and sustainable peace, emphasised  UN special rapporteur Clément Nyaletsossi Voule in his video contribute to our Side Event for the 54th session of the Human Rights Council. The- Side Event was organized in cooperation with UN Women, UNFPA, Lutheran World Federation, ACT Alliance, the World Council of Churches and the Permanent Mission of Denmark to the UN. The organizers also included a large number of non-governmental organizations from around Europe: Act Church of Sweden, Bread for the World DanishChurchAid, Felm and Swiss Church Aid HEKS/EPER.   

All organizers had discovered through their own work that to achieve gender justice, the civic space should be secured and promoted. The Head of Human Rights and Development at the UN Women Geneva Office, Adriana Quiñones, gave the opening speech and aptly summed up that in fact the issues are two sides of the same coin: gender justice cannot be realized without civic space and vice versa. 

The side event attracted many participants, including 11 state representatives, who spoke loudly of the importance of the subject, and the reach of our networks. To fulfill gender justice and to promote women’s human rights, everyone from the private and public sector to states and civil society actors are needed, as the panelist jointly concluded. One of reasons emphasizing the need for collaborative measures is that the global anti-gender movement takes diverse forms in varying arenas, also within UN systems. 

The discussion revealed how, according to a survey carried out by DCA1, the online harassment of women is a significant human rights problem and a threat to democracy. Although the internet offers great opportunities for promoting women’s rights, at the same time women human rights defenders face serious harassment and threats, which in the worst case can silence the women completely. Paradoxically, the harassment tends to be worst when women human rights defenders have successfully promoted gender justice. 

And it doesn’t take long to destroy the progress made – as it happened in Brazil during a very short period. Attacks on gender justice made by those using the highest political power in the country put the persons promoting human rights in a risky position. After the distributive measures and change in political power, the society faces challenges to rebuild the dialogue and continue the development that had progressed in a good direction before the interruption. 

The discussion during the side event underlined that faith-based actors play a key role as promoters of gender justice. For example, religious actors and leaders have significant opportunities to raise awareness of online harassment and advocate for binding legislation to solve the problem and to replace the current dysfunctional ad hoc solutions of online platforms. UNFPA emphasized the significant role of faith-based organizations providing sexual and reproductive services. During the discussion, it was found that religious spaces are also potential places for having difficult conversations about, for example, toxic masculinity. 

The discussion also reminded us of the UN’s role in promoting and protecting civic space. Since CSO’s have only limited opportunities to participate in meetings in Geneva or New York, it would be worthwhile to explore online participation opportunities to a greater extent. If participation on the spot is possible, a larger number of CSO participants should be offered accreditations entitling them to participate in the dialogues. These methods would improve civil society actors’ possibilities to use UN mechanisms and form alliances with each other. 

The side event offered an excellent example of alliances and possibilities of cooperation. The topic of the side event touched many actors in many ways. After the one-hour event, the conversation continued lively during the coffee break. There are many reasons for this and one of the most important is money: inequality is expensive.

A World Bank study has estimated that for example limited education opportunities for girls and barriers to completing 12 years of education cost between 15 trillion to 30 trillion US dollars to countries in loss of productivity and earnings. Educated women tend to be informed about nutrition and healthcare, have fewer children, marry at a later age, are more likely to participate in formal labor market and earn higher incomes.  

The states simply cannot afford such a waste of money. Active promotion of gender justice and support for this work are key factors in solving all development challenges. 

Read the pledge that ACT members have submitted to promote civic space, counter backlashes on gender equality, and defend human rights, in national, regional, and global spaces.

Download the pledge