In Syria, development community needs to strengthen 'social fabric'

Wynn Flaten, Syria response director at World Vision talks with Devex about the role of the humanitarian and development communities in Syria, and what makes the crisis unique.

Even for the most experienced humanitarian relief organizations, the crisis in Syria has presented challenges in logistics, funding and strategy that raise the bar for complex emergencies.

Devex spoke to Wynn Flaten, Syria response director at World Vision, about how the global relief organization has sought to navigate an “arduous and complicated” implementation landscape.

With negotiators gathered in Geneva for tenuous peace talks and the world’s militaries upholding an uneasy ceasefire, the humanitarian and development communities continue to gauge their role in bringing the Syrian crisis to an end and promoting stability and prosperity in the region.

“What is happening, particularly in Syria and Iraq, is the social fabric is being torn apart,” Flaten told Devex. “We need to do everything we can … to make that social fabric stronger.”

Watch the video above to hear more about what makes the humanitarian response in Syria unique and how the funding climate is different from other crises.

Across Borders is a monthlong online conversation hosted by Devex and partners — World Vision, the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department, the U.S. nonprofit partner of the International Organization for Migration and United Nations Volunteers — to analyze and amplify the discussion on global migration and current refugee crises through the lens of global security, development cooperation and humanitarian aid work, and more. Visit the campaign site and join the conversation on social media tagging @devex and #AcrossBorders.

About the author

Jeff Tyson@jtyson21

Jeff is a global development reporter for Devex. Based in Washington, DC, he covers multilateral affairs, U.S. aid and international development trends. He has worked with human rights organizations in both Senegal and the United States, and prior to joining Devex worked as a production assistant at National Public Radio. He holds a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree in international relations and French from the University of Rochester.