nomadickitten

Not OP but - There are still international NGOs in the North East but many of them have reduced their activities or evacuated a number of their staff for the moment.

ICRC were certainly around earlier in the year but may be laying low or have evacuated while the security situation is so unclear.

The presence of UN organisations in the North East is also complicated by the regime. NES is not controlled by the Syrian government so organisations registered with them are often subjected to restricted movements. This affiliation also means remaining truly independent is essentially impossible for the UNAIDs.

There may come a point soon where most INGOs do leave and the telecommunications systems go down... if that happens I expect things will get bad very quickly.

Also the late night ice cream van and drugs... I’m here for the hard truths lol.

I get the impression it’s going to be something akin to Just Giving or Patreon but for charities instead of individuals. That’s just a guess from the limited info on the website though.

It's very difficult for anyone to be unbiased but as a rule organisations and individuals who try to remain neutral refer to the region as North East Syria rather than Rojava.

However, having a bias does not mean OP's experiences and answers are useless. She's beleivably on the ground in NES so may have useful insights into recent events etc.

Thanks for clarifying. That makes sense. I'm familiar with the context although I never managed to set foot in Jinwar. I personally avoid the term Rojava because of those connotations but then I've come from the humanitarian/health side and am not a revolutionary. I'm also concerned that it's polarising and alienates some communites who don't affiliate with that view point.

One last question - have you got a plan for return to the UK in the future? With the changes to the counterterrorism act made in May of this year you're likely to be prosecuted. I left before this came into effect but will likely face issues even if I return affiliated with an INGO.