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Statement of the Formation of a Joint Operational Alliance (Syrian Forum, Syria Civil Defense, Syrian American Medical Society)

The coalition's objective is to coordinate and combine efforts to improve the living conditions of our people in northwestern Syria by providing the best integrated services across multiple specializations in which the three institutions operate

The devastating earthquake that struck large areas of Turkey and Syria on February 6 has compounded the humanitarian catastrophe and the consequences of the war that the Syrian people have endured over the past twelve years. This includes the destruction of infrastructure, the deterioration of the health and education sectors, and the absence of basic indicators of stability, safety, and living conditions. The earthquake occurred in catastrophic conditions that limit the capabilities of the humanitarian response and recovery procedures. As organizations working in the development, humanitarian, and relief fields in Syria, we have been compelled to take action.

- Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS)

- Syrian Forum

- Syria Civil Defense (White Helmets)

We announce the formation of an operational alliance aimed at coordinating and joining efforts to contribute to improving the living conditions of our people in northwestern Syria by providing the best integrated service within the multiple specializations in which the aforementioned institutions operate, through the implementation of the program to restore life to the affected areas, and to contribute to the rehabilitation of facilities It is vital to provide basic services to civilians at the level of health, education and basic living services, according to an initial plan that will be announced later.

The assessments of the humanitarian needs in the northwestern regions of Syria, both before and after the earthquake, highlight the poor state of infrastructure in densely populated areas, particularly those where internally displaced persons are settled. The absence of economic and developmental projects further exacerbates the living conditions of the affected civilians. The catastrophic earthquake in a country already devastated by war necessitates urgent and significant steps towards restoring the humanitarian situation. To this end, a comprehensive recovery plan has been developed that focuses on rehabilitating critical infrastructure, vital facilities, and educational and medical centers in the areas most affected by the earthquake, within our current capabilities. The implementation of this plan would contribute to restoring normalcy to the lives of civilians in the affected areas.

Given that the aforementioned Syrian institutions have had a significant impact in healing the wounds of the Syrian people over the past ten years through continuous humanitarian and development work, and have consistently responded to urgent distress calls in various humanitarian circumstances, including the recent devastating earthquake that struck Syria and Turkey, their administrative and field personnel were among the first to respond to those affected. Therefore, these institutions are committed to leveraging all their available resources to support recovery and rehabilitation operations within their areas of expertise.


Additionally, the program announced today is just the first step in the Coalition's intervention plan. Future interventions will be implemented throughout northwestern Syria, with the three organizations pooling their capabilities and energy to elevate the region to a more advanced level, thereby improving the lives of our people, reinforcing their resilience, and paving the way for significant long-term progress in the area.

On this occasion, we encourage all Syrian partners to proceed in similar steps, whether by joining this coalition, or by forming new alliances that guarantee a higher level of efficiency and effectiveness in planning and responding to the needs of the people in the affected and stricken areas.

We emphasize the urgent need for all donors and the international community to continue providing both immediate and long-term relief support to the northwestern region of Syria, in order to contribute to the restoration of damaged infrastructure, local economic projects, primary and secondary health centers, and schools. We also express our willingness to cooperate in all short and medium-term recovery projects that were presented at the recent Brussels conference to support the resilience of the population in the areas affected by the earthquake.

Today, we are facing an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe that demands cooperation and coordination among all Syrian civil society organizations. Our goal is to ensure that the affected population has safe access to their fundamental rights to a decent life and secure housing, as well as basic health and medical services. This is precisely what the Syrian Forum, the White Helmets, and the Syrian American Medical Society are working towards.

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