On October 3, 2023, the Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies (CHS) in Doha hosted Eng. Mohamed Hasno, the Executive Director of the Assistance Coordination Unit (ACU), in a seminar entitled "Response Mechanisms between the Complexity of Reality and Calls for Empowerment in Northern Syria."
The symposium, moderated by Dr. Ghassan Al-Kahlout, Director of CHS, was held in person in the academic building of the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies. The seminar was attended by Dr. Bilal Turkia, Chargé d'Affairs at the Syrian Embassy in the State of Qatar, Mr. Saad Baroud, first secretary at the Syrian Embassy in the State of Qatar, and a distinguished group of researchers, academics and master's students pursuing the Conflict Management and Humanitarian Action program at the Doha Institute from more than 15 countries.
The symposium began with a welcome speech delivered by Dr. Ghassan Al-Kahlout, who stressed the importance of this event, given the difficult political, economic, and humanitarian conditions that are currently being experienced by the Syrians, after more than a decade of conflict and the earthquake that struck the region in February 2023.
Hasno shed light on the complexities of the Syrian crisis and the response process in the region in the light of regional and international tensions. He also touched on the suffering of Syrians due to the conflict and the earthquake that struck the region this year. He pointed out that the overlapping nature of the Syrian conflict at the local, regional and international levels made the Syrians a tool for negotiation in international politics, and therefore the Syrian humanitarian crisis is fundamentally politicized and subject to the calculations of international and regional politics.
Hasno highlighted many other issues related to the importance of collecting accurate information during the conflict and verifying the independence of information, with stressing the importance of not marginalizing humanitarian needs during the conflict, such as education, health, and food. He asserted that the response operations must consider the investment in human and social capital, with a focus on sustainable development as the basis for the response process, since humanitarian aid alone is no longer sufficient to meet people's needs.
The Center for Conflict Studies pays special attention to this event, especially due to its scope of work. CHS is an independent research and studies center, which provides solid and cross-disciplinary academic outputs that address the causes and effects of conflicts, humanitarian crises, state fragility, and transitions from war to peace in the Middle East and North Africa region as well as its regional surroundings.
For more information, please contact us at: chs@chs-doha.org