- المشاريع المدعومة من AFS
In December 2024, just four days after the fall of the Assad regime, AFS launched a US$ 7.5 million envelope under its third Regular Allocation (RA3) to provide rapid support to areas of northern Syria that were previously under regime control. AFS is funding seven remarkable projects by national NGOs to support conflict-affected communities on their path to recovery using an integrated area-based approach covering multiple sectors including early recovery and livelihoods, health, education, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH). These projects will reach approximately 2.2 million people, including 1.2 million women and girls.
In June, AFS launched a social media campaign on LinkedIn and Facebook to highlight the work of partners under this funding envelope, spotlighting each project’s progress and impact on the ground.
Clearing rubble to conflict-affected neighbourhoods in Aleppo with the White Helmets
Over 60% of Aleppo city and 85% of its eastern areas were destroyed due to the conflict, leaving behind vast amounts of rubble that conceal UXOs, block roads, and create unsanitary conditions. To support the recovery of the city, AFS is funding a US$ 1.04 million project by the White Helmets to clear 40,000 m³ of rubble in Al-Shaar, Qadi Askar, and Karm Humad—three of Aleppo’s most damaged neighbourhoods.
To ensure environmental sustainability, the cleared rubble is recycled at the Ramouseh recycling center in Aleppo city to produce blocks, tiles, and other construction materials that will be used to rebuild key infrastructure in the city. “Every pile of rubble we clear means fewer risks for families and a step closer to restoring normal life”, said Abdul-Mu'ti, a White Helmets volunteer.
Bringing Khan Shaykhun’s market back to life with IYD International Humanitarian Relief Association
AFS awarded a US$ 920,000 grant to IYD to support the rehabilitation of the central market in Khan Shaykhun. Severely damaged since the start of the conflict, only 15% of the market’s shops were operational following the area’s liberation in December 2024.
This project aims to restore functionality of the market by rehabilitating 150 local shops through the installation of roof covers, lighting, waste bins, and reconstruction of shop fronts. IYD will also repair roads, expand access routes, create safe pedestrian paths, and provide parking areas to improve accessibility and revive the local economy. Once completed in December 2025, the market will resume its role as the economic hub of Khan Shaykhun, serving over 3,000 families in surrounding villages.
Revitalising schools for students in Ma’arrat Al-Numan with Syria Relief
The education system in Syria has been devastated by over a decade of conflict, leaving 2.4 million children out of school in 2024. AFS awarded a US$ 514,000 grant to Syria Relief in March 2025 to rehabilitate five public schools in Ma’arrat al-Numan—one of the areas hardest hit by the conflict.
The project aims to rebuild safe, inclusive, and accessible learning environments to support 4,200 children—including 2,126 girls and 2,074 boys—to return to school. Rehabilitation efforts include the installation of bathrooms for girls, ramps for students with disabilities, improved sanitation facilities, and street lighting along main roads leading to the schools.
To ensure community ownership and sustainability, project activities are being coordinated with a Community Committee made up primarily of families whose children attend the targeted schools. In addition, Syria Relief is training local community members to carry out basic repairs on school infrastructure—such as doors and windows—helping to restore classrooms into clean, safe, and welcoming spaces for learning.
Strengthening the waste management system in Aleppo with Mercy Without Limits
AFS awarded Mercy Without Limits a US$ 1.17 million grant to improve solid waste management in areas of Aleppo city previously under regime control. Years of weakened basic services left around 80% of neighborhoods without regular waste collection, resulting in unsanitary conditions and significant public health risks.
To address this, MWL is covering the salaries of 200 sanitation workers for six months installing 150 new bins, and providing 2,000 litres of fuel daily to keep waste collection trucks operational. This will enable the proper disposal of 1,250 tonnes of waste daily across 156 underserved neighbourhoods, restoring urban services and improving public health across Aleppo.
This project is being closely coordinated with the local municipality, with a phased plan to gradually transfer waste management responsibilities to the city’s authorities, ensuring long-term sustainability.
Restoring daily life in Saraqib with ATAA
Once a frontline area, the town of Saraqib in Idleb Governorate endured intense fighting that forced thousands of residents to flee. Today, while many families are keen to return, the destruction and lack of essential services poses a significant barrier to rebuilding their lives.
With a US$ 1.03 million grant from AFS, ATAA is restoring vital infrastructure across the town to help create conditions for the return of displaced residents. The project includes rehabilitating five schools with a total of 105 classrooms, repairing two water stations—benefiting over 120,000 people with improved water access—restoring the entire sewage network, upgrading the local market with lighting and paved walkways, and distributing 140 waste containers to improve sanitation.
Running from March to November 2025, the project is set to support over 37,000 returnees in Saraqib.
Reconnecting farmers to their lands in rural Idleb with BINAA for Development
In the districts of Kafr Nobol, Khan Shaykhun, and Al Ma'ra in Idleb Governorate, farmers have faced persistent challenges in accessing their agricultural lands and transporting products due to damaged, unpaved, and eroded roads. These conditions have significantly hindered the productivity of the local agricultural sector—a vital source of economic activity in rural Idleb.
To address this challenge, BINAA is rehabilitating 25 kilometres of critical rural roads with a US$ 1.2 million grant. The project includes clearing, levelling, graveling, and asphalting of roads under the supervision of a qualified engineering team, ensuring that quality and safety standards are met.
Once completed in November 2025, the project will have reconnected local farmers to their lands, making it easier to access fields, transport crops, and avoid the hazards of deteriorated roads. This project strengthens food security in the area and revitalises the local rural economy.
Rebuilding the healthcare system in Ma’arrat Al-Numan with Hand in Hand for Aid and Development (HIHFAD)
AFS is supporting HIHFAD with a US$ 1.4 million grant to reconstruct Ma’arrat Al-Numan National Hospital in Idleb governorate- visited by AFS to review ongoing progress.
Despite once being the main medical facility in the area, the hospital has been out of operation since 2019 due to extensive damage, placing pressure on nearby primary health centres to meet rising needs from residents and returnees in the city and surrounding IDP camps. This grant is funding the reconstruction of approximately 65% of the hospital, including the installation of ventilation, heating, sewage, and lighting systems, as well as the establishment of a dedicated 400sqm Outpatient Department (OPD) fitted with medical and non-medical equipment.
“Returning to this heavily conflict-affected area after my first visit in January and seeing the communities actively working toward recovery with the support of our partners is deeply moving. It’s clear how vital this hospital is to that recovery – I look forward to seeing it fully come back to life”, says Andrea Quaden, AFS’s Executive Director.