Between international donors and local faith communities: Intermediaries in humanitarian assistance to Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon

Article


Kraft, K. and Smith, Jonathan D. 2018. Between international donors and local faith communities: Intermediaries in humanitarian assistance to Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon. Disasters. 43 (1), pp. 24-45. https://doi.org/10.1111/disa.12301
AuthorsKraft, K. and Smith, Jonathan D.
Abstract

This paper explores the crucial part that faith‐based organisations (FBOs) play in acting as intermediaries between international donors and local faith communities (LFCs) implementing humanitarian relief projects for Syrian refugees. Humanitarian responses to the mounting Syrian refugee crisis have coincided with greater collaboration between international donors and LFCs. This cooperation often is facilitated by a complex web of non‐state intermediaries at the international, national, and local level. This study probes the breadth of roles of these intermediaries, drawing on primary data from case studies of two Christian intermediaries supporting Christian LFCs as they deliver aid primarily to Muslim Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon. The results of the study are connected to the wider literature on LFCs in humanitarian response, revealing how intermediaries address issues of accountability, capacity‐building, impartiality, neutrality, and professionalism. The paper concludes by offering suggestions for further research on intermediaries as key actors in the localisation of humanitarian assistance.

JournalDisasters
Journal citation43 (1), pp. 24-45
ISSN0361-3666
Year2018
PublisherWiley for Overseas Development Institute
Accepted author manuscript
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1111/disa.12301
Web address (URL)https://doi.org/10.1111/disa.12301
Publication dates
Online12 Jun 2018
Publication process dates
Deposited07 Nov 2018
Accepted12 Nov 2017
Accepted12 Nov 2017
Copyright information© 2018 The Authors. Disasters © Overseas Development Institute, 2018. This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Kraft, Kathryn and Smith, Jonathan D. ‘Between international donors and local faith communities: Intermediaries in humanitarian assistance to Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon’, Disasters, 43 (1) pp. 24-45, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/disa.12301. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions.
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