[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 153 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 153

       Reaffirming the unique collaboration among United States 
      nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), including faith-based 
 organizations, and the Israel Defense Forces to deliver humanitarian 
                         assistance to Syrians.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 10, 2019

   Mr. Lankford (for himself and Mr. Casey) submitted the following 
  resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
       Reaffirming the unique collaboration among United States 
      nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), including faith-based 
 organizations, and the Israel Defense Forces to deliver humanitarian 
                         assistance to Syrians.

Whereas the Syrian civil war, now in its eighth year, has forced 14,000,000 
        Syrians to flee, more than half of the country's pre-war population, 
        with 6,500,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) still within the 
        country;
Whereas ``Operation Good Neighbor'' is a program of the Israel Defense Forces to 
        provide humanitarian relief to Syrians;
Whereas Operation Good Neighbor worked with United States nongovernmental 
        organizations (NGOs) to help forge unprecedented partnerships between 
        the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Syrian NGOs, which opened a new 
        channel for the delivery of humanitarian assistance;
Whereas, as a result, food, fuel, medicine, ambulances, and medical supplies 
        were flowing cross-border from Israel into southern Syria;
Whereas this new channel permitted these goods to arrive at Israeli ports, and 
        be trucked by the IDF through Israel to the border with Syria;
Whereas, at the border, the IDF transferred these containers to Syrian NGOs for 
        transport and distribution to IDPs and local residents in previously 
        hard-to-reach locations in southern Syria;
Whereas United States NGOs, including faith-based organizations, facilitated the 
        relationships between the Syrian NGOs and the IDF by providing overall 
        coordination and support for this regional cooperation to help promote 
        regional peace through a multifaceted humanitarian relief operation;
Whereas the program initially reached only villages along the border, but 
        expanded to a broader area of southern Syria, and as deliveries 
        continued on a sustained basis, the initiative ultimately reached an 
        even greater population; and
Whereas, in addition to the value of the humanitarian relief itself, the Syrian/
        Israeli partnerships, created and reinforced through the success of the 
        new channel, demonstrated the value of cooperation and continues to 
        serve as a role model for strengthened positive relations between 
        Syrians and Israelis: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate hereby reaffirms the unique collaboration 
between United States nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), including 
faith-based organizations, and Syrian NGOs and the Israel Defense 
Forces (IDF) for having provided vital aid to internally displaced 
people and local residents in southern Syria while also countering 
generations of hostility, promoting dialogue between neighbors, and 
ultimately advancing long-term stability in the region.
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