Countering the logic of the war economy in Syria; evidence from three local areas
The main argument of this paper is that the conflict in Syria needs to be viewed as a societal condition in which armed groups have emerged as the main economic actors and in which the allocation of resources is determined by violence and other forcible restrictions. It describes the devastating impact of the illegitimate trade in fuel on the local economy and suggests that providing fuel legitimately is key to reviving the local economy in the opposition-controlled areas. It also suggests that public resources in these areas should be channeled to support public services and not violence, as it is the case right now. Finally the paper explores donors strategies and puts forward several recommendations for countering the war economy and reducing the conflict through transforming the economy into peace economy.