The challenges of international non-governmental organizations in response to the Syrian humanitarian crisis : a case study of Malaysian INGOs

Abstract

This study investigates the challenges that Peduli Insan, Syria Care Malaysia, and Cinta Syria Malaysia Organizations in their response to the Syrian humanitarian crisis. In addition, the study examines the extent to which their plans and programmes are taken into account to achieve the main objectives of successful NGOs (impact, sustainability, and cost-effectiveness) as had been determined by Edwards (1999). These organizations are active, in Syria and at least in one of its border countries, except Iraq. Their programmes include relief, food, health, education, and settlement projects. This study contributes to the field of humanitarian-based INGOs' in the international relations field as non-state actors. This is done through their response to the Syrian humanitarian crisis by highlighting the challenges these three Malaysian INGOs face and evaluating their performance. This qualitative research mainly used interviews with a number of executives, and management staff of those organizations as the main primary source of data. In addition, the study has used secondary sources such as books, journals, reports, and official websites of these INGOs. It uses thematic analysis to analyse the collected data. The findings of this study reveal that these INGOs are facing many challenges in Malaysia, Syria, and refugee host countries. The challenges start from the collecting of donation stage until the project's concluding stage. Over time these organizations focus mainly on Syrian refugees in their projects. They showed high flexibility in dealing with the changes and challenges they faced (Impact). They cooperate with many governmental agencies and NGOs and have plans to increase their funding sources (sustainability). Their local organizations' partners play the main role in selecting and implementing their projects (cost-effectiveness). However, there is a need to enhance cooperation among these INGOs themselves and other NGOs. Lastly, more studies targeting local organizations which are partners of these INGOs are required since this study is limited to a number of executives and management staff of those Malaysian organizations only.