Project Hope – US Government Outreach

Last week, the GULFSANDS management team once again visited Washington DC for a series of very productive discussions regarding our energy-led humanitarian initiative for Syria - #ProjectHope.

Project Hope has the potential to make a huge difference to all Syrian people, by generating US$15-20 billion per annum from resumed oil production – under international oversight. These revenues can be used towards humanitarian and early recovery initiatives, including security, employment and health & environmental programmes.

We appreciate all the feedback and support we received during our meetings. The insights we received from government officials, policy advisors, members of the Syrian diaspora, sanctions and legal experts, and analysts specialising in Syria were incredibly valuable in helping us to deepen our understanding of the complexities that need to be navigated in designing Project Hope.

We discussed how after more than 13 years, the humanitarian crisis in Syria continues to deteriorate, with over 90% of Syrians below the poverty line and 80% of Syrians assessed as being food insecure. We also heard about the devastating health, safety and environmental issues in the country, particularly in the Northeast of Syria, where illicit and unsophisticated production of the oil fields by entities affiliated with the Syrian YPG continues to cause a pollution and health catastrophe.

Drawing on the extensive feedback received, we will now further develop the Project Hope framework to help make a better future for all Syrians. We will continue to engage with international and regional stakeholders to raise the profile of these important issues and generate support for Project Hope.

If you are interested to hear more, please visit our website at https://gulfsands.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

Please also let us know your views on Project Hope – we welcome all input.