When a devastating earthquake struck Syria in February, high-income countries rushed through exemptions from their sanctions against the Assad regime to help bring disaster relief to the tens of thousands left injured and homeless.
And yet, people in desperate conditions waited months for food, clothing, and blankets, money transfers were blocked, and long-term planning to rebuild collapsed homes and infrastructure was almost impossible, NGOs protested afterward.
What explains this vast gap between noble intention and the grim reality on the ground?