The Baath party, local notables and coronavirus community response initiatives in southern Syria

In March 2020, the Syrian Ministry of Health and the administration of Daraa's National Hospital refuted rumours of cases of Covid-19 and asserted that Daraa governorate was free of the virus. Although the rumours stemmed from insecurity, the growing civilian fear and suffering resulting from Daraa's crumbling healthcare system is not recent. Since July 2018, the month in which Daraa's rebels surrendered, the Syrian government has been facing numerous challenges in the provision of quality healthcare to the local population. Against the backdrop of the debilitated health infrastructure, many civilians in Daraa decided to organise collectively, raise money and mobilise cross-border networks and diasporic communities to launch local initiatives against Covid-19. While these initiatives unwittingly pose a credible threat to its local control, the Syrian regime allows them to develop, as long as this philanthropic sphere remains strictly monitored and controlled. However, close to eight years of rebellion and the fragmented return of the Syrian regime to Daraa have altered the ties between local communities and the central authorities, creating variation in the ability of the Syrian regime to control individuals and resources in different regions. Therefore, the ability of the regime to capitalise on local initiatives is primarily based on the degree of penetration it has in a particular local community. In areas of low regime penetration, the Syrian regime has limited control and is therefore weak in terms of overriding collective action, capitalising on resources and mobilising its networks of power. This has created an important autonomous space in which networks of community members have been able to organise independently, often under the aegis of clan sheikhs and notables. In areas of high regime penetration, the Syrian regime mobilises its networks of power and requires them to intervene and support the launch of anti-coronavirus measures. While it has also tolerated the emergence of community-based initiatives in these regions, the regime has capitalised on the extra resources and workforce they provide to support local government institutions. These areas have witnessed a significant resurgence of the Baath Party and the Revolutionary Youth Union, which have hijacked local coronavirus initiatives to enhance political recruitment and promote their atrophied social role.