Politicising the humanitarian aid in Syria
April 4, 2021, 2:00 pm

Politicising the humanitarian aid in Syria

Zara saleh

During the Syria Donor conference, 6.4 billion dollars were raised for the humanitarian crisis after 10 years of the ongoing conflict in Syria. According to the United Nations recent report, nearly two-thirds of Syrian people- two in every three- are in need of humanitarian aid which means more than 14 million Syrian people in general, and millions of children are living below the poverty line as the UNICEF chief warned that. Syria

Simultaneously, the American Secretary of State Antony Blinken has warned the UN Security Council and the 15-members called on those who do not politicise the humanitarian assistance that been pledged for Syrians and to "stop enabling the obstruction of aid". Blinken's message was directed to Assad's regime backer, China and Russia as both countries, again, are expected to vote against the UN Security Council resolution. Since 2014, the UN Security Council has adopted a resolution that allowed the United Nations organisations and agencies to deliver humanitarian support for Syrian people over four border crossings. Unfortunately, since January 2020 Moscow and Beijing voted, as usual, against the renewal of the UN resolution that allowed the use of four crossings border, two in Turkey, one in Iraq, and another in Jordan.

later on, the humanitarian aid to the Syrian people has been reduced dramatically due to Russia and China's veto that eliminates Al Yarubiyah crossing on the Iraqi border and Bab al-Salam on the Turkish border. As a result, the majority of the Syrian population is facing starvation as the cost of living has sharply risen and there is a lack of basic needs such as bread, water, sugar, electricity, and fuel.

Arguably, politicizing humanitarian assistance in Syria was a Russian strategy to cut the aid in the areas that are not under the Syrian regime's control. Such as the Kurdish-held autonomous northeast, and in Idlib north Syria. Moreover, Moscow argues that the delivery of humanitarian aid in such areas is 'violating' Syria's sovereignty, according to the Russian representative in the UN. That is why Russia since the beginning of the Syrian conflict in 2011, has repeatedly used its veto to block tens of the UN resolution with China's support, even to those related to humanitarian purposes for civilians.

Besides that, Turkey, which is Russia's ally through the Astana agreement, has also been involved in such processes during its occupation of Syrian territories. Turkish authorities, for instance, have been shut-off the Alok water pumping since the occupation of Serekaniye in 2019 by leaving millions of civilians without water in the Kurdish-controlled areas in northeast Syria. So later, Turkey declined dramatically the level of the Euphrates River that, eventually, has affected the daily life's of civilians, food security and agriculture, and in the future could have catastrophic consequences not only at a political level but at the humanitarian and environmental levels as well. Syria

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Zara Saleh

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”