Forum Discusses Charitable Giving in Syria
Representatives of the U.S. Departments of Treasury, Commerce, Homeland Security and State, as well as a representative from USAID presented ways to effectively send humanitarian aid to Syria during the ADC National Convention on June 22 at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill.
State Department Refugee Program Officer Jennifer Williams kicked off the session by explaining U.S. policy in relation to Syria. Williams explained that the U.S. is in support of Kofi Annan and his six-point plan.
During her remarks, Williams added that the U.S. is also interested in addressing the needs of refugees and their host governments and that the U.S. is “grateful that the host governments keep their borders open and provide assistance.”
James H. Fleming from the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance at USAID continued by explaining that USAID tries to provide relief to the people of Syria by offering basic assistance, healthcare, emergency relief and humanitarian assistance. In addition, USAID funds global peacekeeping organizations as well as nongovernmental organizations.
USAID estimates one million people are affected by the conflict and half a million are displaced. Fleming said he felt “empathy to all those with friends and family in Syria,” because for him, “it’s difficult to not be able to address the needs of everyone affected by the conflict.”
Fleming added that USAID is “not only concerned about the safety and security of the Syrian people, but also those wishing to provide assistance.” For this reason, Fleming suggested that those wishing to help in Syria refer to The Center for International Disaster Information website (<www.cidi.org>) for guidelines on how to safely provide aid.
Katherine Gupta from the Department of Treasury added that her department is committed to preserving the “integrity of the financial system by making sure NGOs and individuals who wish to send assistance are protected from terrorist intervention.”
For this reason, the Treasury Department has created FAQ pages and voluntary guidelines in order to ensure that money is not abused or diverted.
Jeanette Jaeggi, from the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of Treasury explained the general licenses OFAC issues to list-based and community-based programs in Syria. Jaeggi referred to general license no. 11 as being “the most important” and the “first of its kind” in a country program. This license allows NGO’s to export services to Syria for specific activities including support of humanitarian projects, democracy building, education and nongovernmental projects.
Anthony Christino from the U.S. Department of Commerce said, “although we do give licenses to individuals, it is better to pursue a license collectively.” Christino then qualified his statement by adding, “I, however, do not want to deter individuals from entering the licensing system.”
Anyone with questions on how to safely donate in Syria can contact any of the agencies directly. Christino assures that the departments are all responsive.
“People are often surprised at how quickly the phones and emails get answered,” Christino said. “We really pride ourselves in customer service and we want to get your questions answered.”
—Mallika Patkar
