ABSTRACT
Politicization of the humanitarian crisis caused by armed conflicts is not uncommon. In the case of the Syrian civil war, various actors, including the Syrian government, rebel forces, and even international donors, have politicized humanitarian response, particularly humanitarian access, for their own agenda. This chapter discusses the three issues relating to the politicization: (1) a fundamental dilemma facing UN humanitarian agencies between adherence to the humanitarian principles and continuation of aid delivery with the consent of the Assad regime; (2) obstacles caused by the remote management approach; and (3) political objectives set by major donors and their impacts on humanitarian relief. The chapter argues that these conflicting relationships between humanitarian relief and politicization hinder a large-scale humanitarian response and also become an obstacle to realization of a multi-layered continuum humanitarian approach.
