In January 2019 Kimberly Howe and Elizabeth Stites published an article in Disasters called “Partners under Pressure: Humanitarian Action for the Syria Crisis.”

Kimberly and Elizabeth present the findings of nine months of qualitative research conducted with five Syrian local organizations and their international partners engaging in humanitarian action across the Turkey–Syria border, and presents insights into the components of successful partnerships. It redefines capacity along organizational and operational lines, and unpacks how monitoring and evaluation and donor requirements create tension and, at times, place local organizations at risk. The paper highlights the centrality of trust in successful partnerships, and describes the personalization of the conflict by local organizations. Based on a historical case study of civil society in northern Iraq, it closes with some suggestions for long‐term sustainability.

Read the full article here.