The White Helmets

The White Helmets is a grassroots-led humanitarian organization founded in 2013 to provide emergency services in areas of Syria where state-run services had collapsed following the outbreak of the conflict. We work to support civilians in conflict zones through the implementation of a wide range of stabilization and humanitarian activities. With support offices in Canada, Turkey, the United States, and Europe, the White Helmets operate in Syria in non-regime-controlled areas serving more than 4.5 million civilians. We have a team of around 3,000 volunteers whose humanitarian work helps hundreds of communities prepare for, respond to & recover from attacks and natural disasters. Our mission is to protect lives and property as well as engaging communities to raise awareness, acting with both integrity and professionalism, while promoting justice in situations of war and peace, ultimately seeking to achieve high levels of sustainability and resilience for a safe and stable society. The White Helmets have saved over 128k lives since 2013. The activities carried out by WH are divided into three categories: Emergency, Resilience and “Justice and accountability. Our justice and accountability program documents and forensically preserves evidence of atrocities in Syria and has informed numerous international investigations, including those by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. As an organization, we are committed to the principles of independence, humanity, and impartiality. We work in accordance with international humanitarian law and are committed to promoting gender equality in our teams. Our work has received unparalleled levels of recognition and support, becoming a symbol of humanity and inspiration in Syria and internationally.