Title: The Humanitarian Crisis in Light of the Autonomy Conflict in Northeastern Syria/ Al-Hasakah Governorate 2011-2022
Author: Mirna Hanna
Place of publication: Sweeden
Publisher: Uppsala University
Release date: 2022
“That there are no humanitarian solutions to human problems” David Rieff (2002) states. Proceeding from this argument, perhaps the solutions are compatible with the nature of the factors causing the problem. Thus, it is necessary to understand the dynamics of the factors that caused and exacerbated the crisis. Wars and their political factors are one of the most important causes of humanitarian crises in the current era. So, the thesis presents a dual political and humanitarian vision that aims to understand the humanitarian crisis in a particular region from the background of the intertwining of the international and local relations of the conflict, to discover the impact of these issues on the humanitarian crises.

This thesis uses Al-Hasakah Governorate in northeastern Syria as a case study, focusing on the humanitarian crisis in this region resulting from the autonomy conflict which is represented by the conflict of some Kurdish factions against the Syrian government to obtain autonomy through imposing military control. In that context, the research sheds light on external intervention and the role played by international actors in this conflict.

The conclusions indicate how the conflict and its political nature which moved from the local level to the international through external intervention, plus the conflicting geopolitical interests led to the spread of most types of violence, exacerbated the humanitarian crisis, and created challenges for the humanitarian response.[1]