The Syrian uprising in 2011 was a transformative event that triggered collective action by the Syrian diaspora to contribute to social and political transformations in the country. The escalation of the humanitarian crisis and outpouring of refugees led to further mobilization and collective solidarity efforts by the new Syrian diaspora, who worked together with old Syrian diaspora communities to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian population, including internally displaced persons (IDPs) inside Syria and Syrian refugees in host countries around the world.
Through background research and selected case studies, this research highlights how the diverse Syrian diaspora has been a key leader and partner in the humanitarian response inside Syria. It shows that the diaspora’s cohesiveness, drive, and commitment to the homeland has led to the creation of countless diaspora-led initiatives, NGOs, charities, associations, and foundations to provide humanitarian assistance in Syria, with different forms of social solidarity and transnational humanitarianism resulting on the ground from these initiatives. With its unique connection to affected populations and understanding of its home country, the paper shows how the diaspora has played a vital role in humanitarian relief and development for IDPs in Syria.
Mohamad Al-Ashmar is a humanitarian professional in the international development sector and programmes related to the Syrian humanitarian crisis, civic spaces, migration, security, and peace issues in the Levant region, Europe and Turkey. He is an International Relations doctoral researcher at the University of St Andrews (UK), Research Fellow at the Syrian Centre for Policy Research, and MEAL & Programme Development Specialist for several donors, NGOs and international agencies in the region.
This paper was written by the author during his Summer Fellowship on Internal Displacement at the Internal Displacement Research Programme at the Refugee Law Initiative. The Fellowship was supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, on behalf of the UKRI Global Challenge Research Fund, as part of the funded project “Interdisciplinary Network on Internal Displacement, Conflict and Protection” (AH/T005351/1).
