1. Purpose, scope and rationale
The purpose of this performance review is to assess the effectiveness of UK humanitarian aid to Syria. It will explore whether UK aid is being planned, managed and overseen so as to reach the intended beneficiaries and respond to their needs in a cost-effective manner. It is expected that lessons from the review will be applicable to the Department for International Development’s (DFID) management of large-scale humanitarian operations in complex and protracted crises in the future.
The review will cover DFID’s work in Syria since the beginning of its response to the humanitarian crisis in 2011.
DFID assistance to Syrian refugees in neighbouring countries will not be examined, and the review will focus on humanitarian programming and not on development, governance or reconstruction activities, or the work of the Conflict, Security and Stability Fund (CSSF). Humanitarian programming, to draw on DFID’s definition, includes “the provision of material aid including food, medical care (and personnel) and finance and advice to save and preserve lives during emergency situations and in the immediate post-emergency rehabilitation phase; and to cope with short- and longer-term population displacements arising out of emergencies.”1 Non-humanitarian activities, including those associated with the CSSF, will only be considered if they directly affect the perception of humanitarian assistance, or the treatment (or security) of humanitarian workers in Syria in important ways. For instance, the CSSF may be considered if the review finds that UK governanceor security-oriented programming is resulting in curtailed access for humanitarian stakeholders to certain locations. ICAI is conducting a separate review of the CSSF that will be published in 2018.
Since its onset in 2011, the conflict in Syria has grown into a complex, protracted emergency with regional and global implications. Over 5 million people have fled as refugees to countries neighbouring Syria, 6.3 million have been internally displaced and over half the pre-war population of 22 million is reportedly in need of humanitarian assistance.2 Syria is a highly complex and insecure operating environment with shifting frontlines and multiple armed actors. This presents obstacles for humanitarian organisations attempting to negotiate safe and secure access to populations in need of humanitarian support. The UK’s response to the Syria crisis has been its largest ever humanitarian operation, with a total commitment of £2.5 billion to Syria and the region.3 In light of its importance, complexity and scale, the Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI) decided to conduct a performance review of the UK humanitarian response in Syria. As a performance review, it will examine whether the design and delivery of programmes are effective and maximise value for money, and will focus on how well DFID manages its delivery partners and their downstream partners in Syria.