Western NGOs' safeguards, while understandable, also place them at a disadvantage in winning the hearts and minds of Syrians. Mahmoud agreed with recent reports that the al Qaeda affiliated group Jabhat al-Nusra is gaining support through its aid work.
"I am completely against Jabhat al-Nusra, but I have to tell the truth about what is going on," Mahmoud said. "If you go now to any village that is under the control of Jabhat al-Nusra you can find the bread there very cheap. If you go to any village that is close to the one under the control of Jabhat al-Nusra, the bread is very expensive."
"I think this is what makes people sympathize with [Jabhat al-Nusra] or at least respect them. How does al Qaeda have all this money, tell me?" he said.
As international aid agencies settle in for the long haul, however, there is a chance that this dynamic will change. Mahmoud said international NGOs are preparing to stay in southern Turkey for at least one or two years.
This means Mahmoud will continue traveling into Syria to aid his countrymen. He has been embarking on these dangerous journeys long enough now that he even knows the best weather conditions to make the trip.
"I am waiting all the time for the bad weather, when it is raining or when there are clouds," he said. "Because the aircraft don't go in this weather."
Even if the Syrian regime falls, the need for international aid to Syria will continue, he added.
"Until now, the doors to Syria are still closed. After the fall of Assad, these will open and...the Syrian people who escaped will all come back," he said. Only then can the real work of rebuilding Syria begin.
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