Hussam Nader? is a national Humanitarian Affairs Officer with the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) working on implementing a new cash coordination model in Syria.
What does your day-to-day work look like??
My responsibilities involve managing cash coordination and supporting inter-sector coordination.
The cash assistance programme in Syria could help distribute 80 million USD in cash to more than one million people.
When I first joined OCHA Syria, my primary responsibility was to ensure a smooth transition to the new Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) coordination model, which was very challenging.
This was the case during the transition to the new model. The tense political environment in the country, the government's mistrust of humanitarian organizations, and interference with our operations made the work atmosphere tense and stressful, limiting our ability to deliver humanitarian aid to people in need.?
What is this new cash coordination model?
Our primary goal is a harmonized approach among humanitarian partners – to avoid duplications, ensure fair distribution of resources, and extend cash assistance to as many areas as possible.
We will work closely with the Syrian government since it is responsible for reviewing and approving any programs or interventions being implemented by international non-governmental organizations in their country.
The crisis must have taken a toll on you as a Syrian national. How do you find the motivation to keep going??
My country has experienced so much suffering in the past 13 years. This is why I am so hopeful that with this new cash coordination model, organizations will be able to finally come together under a more effective and harmonized approach, which I think is a big step in the right direction.?
On a personal note, working under the bombs, with constant missile attacks around my home, the fear and stress, have all become part of my daily life.
Unfortunately, after all these years of conflict, there is not much we can do. I have a family to support, and this is my country. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.
Delivering assistance and alleviating people’s suffering is a big source of pride for me.
?
