Organizations documenting human rights in syria

The Syrian Archive

The Syrian Archive is a Syrian-led and initiated collective of human rights activists dedicated to curating visual documentation relating to human rights violations and other crimes committed by all sides during the conflict in Syria with the goal of creating an evidence-based tool for reporting, advocacy, and accountability purposes.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights 

The Syrian Network for Human Rights is an independent, non-partisan, non-governmental, non-profit organization. SNHR was founded in June 2011 through an initiative by Mr. Fadel Abdul Ghany, who is currently the chairman of the board of directors. The organisation works on documenting human rights violations in Syria and defending the human rights of the Syrian human being at the international level.

SNHR documents violations committed by the parties to the conflict against the Syrian people and aims to ensure that victims’ rights are not exploited and perpetrators are exposed for their crimes as a first step towards holding them accountable in order to deter them from committing similar acts in the future. SNHR issues lists of the most notable daily violations, eight statistical monthly reports, yearly reports on global human rights occasions, and a comprehensive yearly report for all the violations that occurred in Syria. 

Violations Documentation Center

The Violations Documentation Center in Syria (VDC) was established in June 2011 to ensure careful and independent documentation of all kinds of human rights violations in Syria. The goal was to become a reference not only for the media, but also for all future accountability and justice-related procedures for Syria.

The VDC is one of the largest human rights organisations with staff members and contacts inside Syria, with a presence in all governorates and most cities. Its activists take great risks to document human rights and international humanitarian law violations committed by the Syrian government and other armed actors in the conflict. The VDC is a credible reference to legal and media practitioners because of its robust methodology and adherence to international legal standards regardless of the perpetrator. Its findings are often cited by international media, the UN and other justice-related mechanisms. The VDC is frequently called upon to provide in-depth briefings to world forums such as the United Nations Security Council.

Development and civil society organizations in Syria

Oxfam

In addition to providing relief supplies to refugees, Oxfam is focusing on rehabilitating the water infrastructure, including repairing wells, and estimates that it is reaching at least 1.5 million people inside Syria. So far, they have helped to complete 48 projects and are implementing another 14. They also plan to help with waste water disposal and solid waste management, as well as work on public health promotion and supporting livelihoods.

Global Communities

Global Communities is committed to directly assisting the most vulnerable affected by the Syrian crisis while planning in the future for a sustainable recovery. They look at how to provide immediate relief while helping communities come up with localized solutions that build upon their resilience. Their Syria Response Strategy responds to the needs of refugees and displaced across the region, in Syria, Iraq, Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon. By carefully coordinating and communicating needs from country to country they are able to adapt their approach to the ever-evolving conflict.

Driven by their commitment to humanitarian principles, they bring decades of humanitarian and development experience to the people affected by this conflict. Their approach goes beyond handing out goods. They engage with communities and Syrian organizations in the region to help Syrians fleeing their homes to cope with the enormous demographic shifts that have taken place, adapt to their new lives and livelihoods, and build resilience. They provide protection to the most vulnerable in this crisis wherever they shelter for now. They do this with a focus on dual accountability – to the communities whom they are committed to helping and to the donors who trust Global Communities to use their resources wisely and effectively.

Saferworld

Saferworld has been working in the Levant region since 2014. Together with their partners, they research, analyse and respond to tensions emerging from the crisis – notably with regard to the high levels of incoming Syrian refugees to Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon.

Listening to both host communities and Syrian refugee arrivals, they gain broader perspectives of migration and the impact it has on peace and stability. Lack of access to social services, high unemployment and underlying local governance issues are exacerbating conflicts. They raise awareness of people’s concerns in national and global debates shaping migration policies. They bring civil society together to discuss issues that lead to conflict to ensure responses are put in place before issues escalate.

In 2017 they began to focus research on Lebanon – the country with the highest percentage of Syrian refugees relative to its population. While many observers believe it is only a matter of time until Syria’s war destabilizes its neighbors, local civil society and communities continue to play an important role in building bridges between hosts and arrivals.

Relief Organizations in Syria

Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps teams have reached over 15,000 newly displaced people this month. They support families fleeing violence in Syria, feed children in South Sudan and Nigeria threatened by famine, reach survivors after natural disasters in places like Indonesia and Zimbabwe — and more. They accept donations to help provide food, clean water, education and long-term support to Syrians families and other people devastated by conflict around the world.

Syria Relief and Development

Syria Relief and Development (SRD) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization providing humanitarian aid to Syrians affected by violence, hunger, poverty, injury and displacement. Founded in November 2011 by Syrian-Americans Dr. Jihad Qaddour and his daughter Jomana Qaddour, SRD was created to provide humanitarian relief to Syrian civilians amid conflict in the country.

The volatile situation in Syria has created a dire need for food, shelter and medical care. SRD is working to address these needs through our established programs within Syria and in surrounding regions. As of early 2018, they have distributed more than $50 million in aid (including in-kind donations) to over 3.3 million Syrians in need. SRD was incorporated in the State of Kansas in November 2011. They are based in the U.S. with offices in Amman, Jordan and Gaziantep, Turkey.

Islamic Relief

The Islamic Relief USA community has been able to serve more than 9.3 million Syrians in need, in Syria and in neighboring countries—giving items like food, medical aid, water, blankets, mattresses, plastic sheeting, plastic mats, shoes, jackets, hats, sweatshirts, gloves, waterproof coats, socks, and psychological support. 

Relief International

Relief International brings services to people in need, on the Syrian crisis, since the early days of the conflict. In addition, they also support hundreds of thousands of Syrians across the borders in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. Their teams are delivering emergency healthcare and clean water services in challenging environments and to communities in hard-to-reach areas across the region. Relief International supports hospitals to provide emergency surgery for those suffering critical war injuries. From there, patients are cared for at their health centers, where they are given ongoing care such as physiotherapy. The team of psychologists offer counseling to help patients overcome the trauma they have experienced.

They also create women and girl-friendly spaces to offer protection and treat victims of gender-based violence. In remote areas, Relief International provides emergency healthcare for communities completely cut off from services through their mobile medical units, hospitals and clinics. These services are particularly crucial for pregnant women. To help prevent the spread of disease, Relief International delivers clean water, builds sanitation facilities, and provides hygiene support under its health intervention. Many families have been forced to cut back their food supplies as a way to cope with poverty. They are also working towards improving nutrition and food security for these families by restoring farmland and agriculture.