Syrian aid workers have local trust and capacity — we just need the resources

Sara — not her real name — is a 16-year-old Syrian girl who fled to Lebanon with her parents and brothers soon after fighting reached her hometown in 2011. While displaced, Sara’s father died, plunging the family into poverty and forcing her and her brothers to drop out of school. Life was hard.

However, the situation in Syria changed dramatically in December 2024, when the country underwent its political transition and a fragile peace returned to Sara’s hometown.

Sara and her family decided to return to see what remained of their house and livelihoods, but their homecoming was far from a fairytale. Her house was still standing, but bare, so the family crowded into her uncle’s house. Neither Sara nor her siblings could afford to go to school and her older brother developed an eye disease the family could not afford to treat, affecting his sight and ability to work. Sara’s mother longed to start a cooking business to support the family but lacked the tools or startup capital.

As Syria opens up after nearly 14 years of conflict, the impact of relentless bombing and neglected governance is visible

Dr. Abdulkarim Ekzayez, Faddy Sahloul, Dr. Aref Razouk, Abdullatif Alzalek & Alaa AlBakour

After suffering years of displacement, poverty and trauma, Sara fell into a deep depression.

Sara’s story is not unusual. Over the past 10 months, more than 1 million Syrians have returned to Syria from other countries, while a further 1.8 million internally displaced people have returned to their areas of origin or choice. Years of often multiple displacements have created profound psychological and economic instability, with many families returning to find their homes and farms destroyed, a total lack of infrastructure and a lack of basic services such as water and electricity.

As Syria opens up after nearly 14 years of conflict, the impact of relentless bombing and neglected governance is visible in the piles of rubble and skeletal buildings dotting the countryside. The impact on children has been even more profound. More than 7,900 schools have been damaged or destroyed, leaving nearly 2.5 million children out of class and more than 7.5 million in need of humanitarian support. Hunger in Syria is rampant, with about 2 million children at risk of malnutrition, and the country is contaminated with nearly 300,000 explosive pieces of ordnance, placing children’s lives in constant danger.

Our organizations have the experience, community acceptance and know-how to help give Syrian children a chance at a future

Dr. Abdulkarim Ekzayez, Faddy Sahloul, Dr. Aref Razouk, Abdullatif Alzalek & Alaa AlBakour

But there is reason for hope. Throughout the conflict, Syrian organizations, such as ours, have provided food, water, healthcare, education and protection to millions of people — built on years of experience, expertise and vital local trust.

One year on from the political transition, our organizations are entering a new phase in supporting Syria’s children and families — one in which we must have the necessary resources to save and protect children’s lives, while helping their families and communities rebuild, recover and become resilient.

Our organizations have the experience, community acceptance and know-how to help give Syrian children a chance at a future. What we need now are resources and multiyear, flexible financing that addresses both the immediate and long-term needs in Syria — ensuring humanitarian access remains unimpeded, and expanding sanctions and banking exemptions to enable timely aid delivery. We need the ability to scale up mine-action programs that find and remove the threat of explosive ordnance, as well as rehabilitating schools and learning spaces.

As we move forward together, we urge the interim Syrian government to place the rights, protection and well-being of children at the center of all recovery and rebuilding efforts.

We know change is possible because we have seen what can be achieved through targeted support with Sara and her family. Earlier this year, our case management teams were alerted to Sara’s situation and were able to provide individual psychosocial support sessions for her and her mother to help them express their emotions and manage stress.

Sara’s younger brother was able to start school again and her older brother was referred to one of our medical centers to treat his eye disease. Sara’s mother was provided basic cooking tools to help start a small business.

As a result, Sara’s mental health has improved significantly. She has become more engaged with her family, made new friends and regained a sense of stability and dignity. Sara’s mother is looking forward to one day opening a restaurant.

Together, with support from inside and outside of Syria, our organizations remain resolute in turning this pivotal moment into one of hope, safety and opportunity for more children like Sara. It is possible to build a Syria where every child survives, learns and thrives in peace and dignity, we just need the commitment to get there.

 

• Dr. Abdulkarim Ekzayez is Country Director at Action for Humanity.
• Faddy Sahloul is CEO of Hand in Hand for Aid and Development (HIHFAD).
• Dr. Aref Razouk is CEO of Shafak.
• Abdullatif Alzalek is CEO of Takaful Al Sham.
• Alaa AlBakour is CEO of Violet for Relief and Development.