Response strategy:
Uncertainty is the major factor affecting supply chain planning for the movement of relief supplies and equipment in Syria. Access constraints remain a major concern for the humanitarian community. The overall security situation is characterized by an unpredictable and rapidly evolving political situation domestically and regionally.
The caretaker Government has committed to facilitate the movement of aid personnel and supplies from surrounding countries as long as humanitarian operations are required, however uncertainty remains regarding specifics of the facilitation measures, the overall status of humanitarian assets and infrastructure, and the resumption of key administrative functions of the state linked to supply and logistics operations (e.g., customs clearance, tax-exemptions, etc).
The logistics cluster aims to address gaps and bottlenecks through three objectives:
- Consolidated planning and advocacy: Through sharing technical capacity and expertise, support of joint planning, coordinating joint operations along key transport corridors, identifying emerging issues and proposing solutions to ensure effective logistics support operations.
- Joint assessment and reporting: Collaborating to assess and report on the transport sector and status of logistics infrastructure in Syria, to mitigate the impact on humanitarian operations of the variable commercial, regulatory, and security situations.
- Augmented cargo-handling capacity: Implementing temporary transit storage inside Syria, supporting trans-shipment from Türkiye, and establishing a limited stock of support equipment available for loan to promote stability in humanitarian logistics operations.
- The United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) will maintain air transportation support for the humanitarian community, including light cargo movement. UNHAS schedule planning for January-March 2025 will serve the international community on a cost recovery basis. Challenges have been encountered in obtaining flight approvals from the caretaker authorities, which may reduce the ability to serve humanitarian passengers.
Priority activities:
- Facilitate cross-border activity for trucks movement into north-west Syria.
- Provide free storage and transport for partners during the response.
- Serve the international community with air transport services within Syria.
- Provide a platform for partners to coordinate the response through regular meetings.
- Provide partners access to up-to-date, useful and relevant logistics information.
- Organize quarterly steering committee meetings for overall guidance on the running of the UNHAS.
- Organize monthly UNHAS user-group meetings to ensure a platform for partner needs to be shared.