This event was convened to discuss the humanitarian implications of the crisis in Syria, reflect on the current response of the international community and consider its impact on civilians caught up in the conflict. The roundtable assessed the ability of humanitarian actors to assess and respond to needs on the ground.

These issues took on added urgency following the suspension of the UN mission in Syria, reports of another massacre in Qubair and international envoy Kofi Annan’s warning that Syria is drifting toward civil war. The discussion shed light on the challenges confronting aid agencies and the moral dilemmas the humanitarian community faces in efforts to address humanitarian needs in accordance with humanitarian principles.