By Disaster Response | GlobalGiving Team
Since we last spoke, Syria has entered a new chapter. Millions of Syrians have begun returning to their communities.
However, coming home is only the beginning of a long road to recovery.
They are returning to damaged homes and schools, broken healthcare services, damaged homes and schools, and fragile livelihoods and infrastructure. Amid this widespread destruction, millions of people continue to depend on humanitarian assistance just to survive.
Late last year, long after the news cameras had moved on to other disasters, a member of our team traveled to the region to visit organizations still providing critical care in the region. As we shared in our reflections here, these visits reinforced exactly why local communities must lead their own recovery. Time and time again, we’ve seen how they are the ones best equipped to help families get through a constantly changing crisis over the long haul.
Supporting local organizations
To put this into action, GlobalGiving is adjusting how we find and fund organizations working on the ground. With more than 115 partners responding across Türkiye and Syria, there is an enormous range of local knowledge and experience to learn from.
During our June grant round, we invited 28 local organizations to tell us what they were seeing in their communities, what people needed most, and where additional funding could help. This helped us hear from organizations we don’t work with as closely and uncover important work we might otherwise miss.
By listening more broadly, we can make funding decisions informed by the people closest to a recovery that continues to change.
What recovery looks like now
From this process, eight organizations received grants from the Syrian Refugee Relief Fund in parallel to grants made through the Turkey & Syria Earthquake Relief Fund. Thanks to your support, these donations are not only meeting immediate needs, but helping to re-stitch the fabric of everyday rhythms that form the true foundation of healing and recovery.
For some families, that means access to clean water, uninterrupted healthcare and education, trauma support, or a permanent roof over their heads. For others, it looks like help finding a job or settling back in after years of displacement. It can also mean rebuilding a favorite neighborhood place, like a local cultural center, so people have somewhere to gather again.
Your continued donation to the Syrian Refugee Relief Fund helps make this support possible.
While what families need will keep changing, their need for support is constant. Your generosity helps local organizations meet families right where they are, and gives Syrian communities the opportunity to rebuild their lives with stability and dignity.
Thank you for being part of this work and for continuing to show up for Syrian communities.
With gratitude,
The GlobalGiving Team
By Kyra Zimmerman | Program Manager
By Kyra Zimmerman | Senior Associate
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When a disaster strikes, recovery efforts led by people who live and work in affected communities are often overlooked and underfunded. GlobalGiving is changing this reality. Since 2004, we've been shifting decision-making power to crises-affected communities through trust-based grantmaking and support.
We make it easy, quick, and safe to support people on the ground who understand needs in their communities better than anyone else.
They were there long before the news cameras arrived, and they’ll be there long after the cameras leave. They know how to make their communities more resilient to future disasters, and they’re already hard at work. GlobalGiving puts donations and grants directly into their hands. Because the status quo—which gives the vast majority of funding to a few large organizations—doesn’t make sense.
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