- AFS-funded projects
This World Humanitarian Day, the Aid Fund for Syria (AFS) spotlights three stories from AFS-funded projects, implemented by national NGOs in partnership with local communities, to tackle some of Syria’s most pressing crises.
Through the dedication of hundreds of humanitarian aid workers and frontline responders, AFS has reached 5.88 million people in Syria to date, including 2.75 million women and girls – among them Rashid, Bashar, and Samar, whose stories we share below.
Frontline firefighters battle Syria’s wildfires
Since June 2025, Syria has been engulfed by wildfires, fuelled by extreme heat, drought, and strong winds. The fires have swept through coastal and mountainous areas in western and northwestern Syria, destroying more than 16,000 hectares of forest.
Within one week of the start of the fires, AFS released US$ 500,000 in funding to national partner the White Helmets to support an emergency response in Latakia, northern Hama, and southern Idleb. With AFS’s support, the White Helmets rapidly deployed specialised personnel, protective gear, hoses, fuel, and firefighting equipment to combat the fires.
Rashid, a firefighting team leader, was one of many aid workers at the White Helmets who worked non-stop for 11 consecutive days to contain the fires: “We worked in the toughest conditions… the terrain was rough, there were no roads, the smoke was thick, and it was over 45°C. We moved from one fire to the next and did not stop until we had brought the fires under control”.
Humanitarian workers deliver lifesaving aid in As-Sweida and Dar’a
Following the escalation of hostilities in As-Sweida governorate in July, which have caused the displacement of approximately 192,000 people, AFS provided International Humanitarian Relief Association (IYD) with an additional US$ 191,255 under an existing AFS grant to assist communities in need of urgent assistance in As-Sweida and Dar’a governorates.
Reception centres hosting displaced families in these areas are facing numerous challenges including overcrowding and interruptions to water supply, resulting in poor sanitation, limited access to clean water, and increased risk of disease outbreaks. Extreme heat and weather conditions put children, the elderly, and individuals suffering from chronic and pre-existing health conditions at even greater risk.
With AFS support, IYD is delivering up to 32 litres of water per person for 7,000 people each day for two months for drinking, cooking, and hygiene, and establishing a drainage system and installing 30 emergency latrines to maintain sanitation in seven reception centres. IYD is also providing 600 vulnerable households with multi-purpose cash assistance of US$ 150 each to help cover basic needs.
Bashar, a field coordinator with IYD in Dar’a, is assessing needs and coordinating aid delivery for the response on-ground. “In this job, you have to adapt quickly. Routes can close… but you still have to make sure the trucks get through”, he says. His days are spent moving between reception centres to ensure that aid is effectively provided. It is demanding work in a highly volatile context, but for Bashar, the results are immediate. “When the water arrives, people can drink, cook, and wash without worrying if it is safe. This makes the effort worth it”.
IYD’s project is one of four funded by AFS, with a combined value of US$ 650,000, currently delivering direct support across As-Sweida and neighbouring governorates.
Advancing community-based protection for women and children in Atareb
AFS designed its ‘Anchor Organisation’ approach to grantmaking in 2024 to promote greater localisation of the Fund and advance impactful, community-driven solutions to solve challenges facing local communities in Syria. The approach encourages AFS partners to apply for funding in consortium with smaller community-based organisations (CBOs) on-ground as a means of channelling greater funding and support to them. This model ensures that aid is deeply rooted in the communities they serve.
AFS national partner Takaful Al Sham (TAS) is one such Anchor Organisation. Awarded a US$ 1.3 million grant at the end of last year, TAS is working with seven CBOs to address protection risks (including physical and sexual violence) faced by displaced individuals, particularly women and children. In Atareb, western Aleppo, where up to 84% of the population are internally displaced persons (IDPs), the destruction of infrastructure, lack of essential services, insecure living conditions, and economic hardship all compound these protection challenges faced by this segnment of the population.
Let’s Build is one of the women-led CBOs that TAS has partnered with to support a community centre offering a safe space for women and children in Atareb to seek help. Samar* is a volunteer at this centre where she facilitates psychosocial wellness sessions for women and children. TAS is training Samar along with 19 other community members and CBO workers on how to identify protection cases at the local level and refer these onto the TAS. The project aims overall to support 300 children to access child protection services and 1,290 survivors of gender-based violence to get the specialised support that they need.
“My outlook on life has changed after entering the field of humanitarian work…I forget all my fatigue… when I see the smiles on the faces of the children and women I support and help”, says Samar.
* This individual’s name has been changed to protect their privacy.