- AFS-funded projects
On 8 July 2025, the Aid Fund for Syria (AFS) approved the rapid release of US$ 500,000 in emergency funding to support the White Helmets’ response to the devastating wildfires that have been burning across western and northwestern Syria since 30 June 2025.
The funds will be used to integrate a dedicated wildfire response module into the White Helmet’s existing grant with AFS under Regular Allocation 3. This emergency support will enable the rapid deployment of specialised personnel, protective gear, hoses, fuel, and spare parts for firefighting equipment in the hardest-hit areas of Latakia, northern Hama, and southern Idleb. These regions are seeing farmland destroyed, families displaced, and already vulnerable communities pushed further into crisis.
In a joint statement, AFS and the White Helmets affirmed: “We are working together to protect lives and livelihoods as wildfires threaten areas across Syria. This joint response demonstrates our commitment to localisation, ensuring Syrians lead the response and recovery in their own country”.
Andrea Quaden, AFS’s Executive Director, stated: “In light of the devastating wildfires sweeping across Syria, AFS is committed to standing with communities in crisis. We are mobilising immediate support through our trusted partner, the White Helmets, to help save lives, protect vulnerable populations, and begin the path to recovery. Humanitarian needs are urgent – we must act swiftly”.