The economic situation in Syria is at its worst since the conflict began a decade ago, according to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Speaking at the Brussels V Conference, aid agencies joined representatives of the European Union to describe the latest situation in Syria and present the solutions they have been offering.

A combination of sanctions, hyperinflation, unemployment, COVID-19 and the deteriorating situation in surrounding states are all contributing to the country's challenges, with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) noting that women and young people are the worst affected.

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Aline Yacoubian, a policy officer in the Syria office of the UK charity Oxfam, said although COVID-19 has exacerbated the situation, it is the least worrying factor. 

She is seeing an increase in child labor, with girls between the ages of 11 and 14, working 12-hour shifts for $3 a day. 

She also expressed her concern that some families are resorting to marrying off children in an effort to find their way out of their struggles.

Yacoubian is convinced that after a decade of conflict, the aid approach to Syria needs to move from a strategy of emergency support, to one that will enable Syrians to become self-reliant.

Creating a sustainable economy

Vivi Michou, director-general of the EU's European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations, echoed this, saying aid needs to change from an emergency-style response to one that helps create a sustainable economy.

The rising price of rice, oil and sugar is a hurdle to that. In just a year, food prices have risen by 230 percent. 

According to the United Nations World Food Programme, there are now 12.4 million hungry people in Syria. 

A spokesperson at the conference estimate that were they to form a queue, it would stretch from Brussels in Belgium to Darwin in Australia – a total of 13,588 kilometers.

In response, aid agencies say food parcels and economic support are vital for those who choose to stay or do not have the option to leave. 

Cash grants, an effective intervention

One popular solution discussed at the conference was to give people cash allowances.

The EU and the aid agency spokespeople agree it is proving to be an effective intervention – and one the recipients also favor. 

They say the evidence in northwestern Syria shows cash grants allow employers to hire and pay workers, help people pay for necessities, support local markets and local jobs and help rebuild a system of supply and demand.

In addition, Jeannie Zielinski, the Syria director for the charity GOAL, says payment in U.S. dollars can help Syrians counter the hyperinflation that has been decreasing the value of the Syrian pound.

The EU, which organized the conference, says it is committed to sending aid to Syria and is the most generous donor in the world.

However, it is also a source of one of Syria's economic difficulties, as aid agencies claim sanctions against the Syrian government also pose a barrier to its economic recovery.

Just last week at a European parliament debate, Josep Borrell, the European Commission's top foreign affairs official warned: "There will be no end to sanctions, no normalizations and no support for reconstruction until a political transition is under way."