Through the project, LWF Syria has invested in community-based care. Photo: Mohammad – Al-Ta’alouf Association
LWF’s recovery and resilience project supports the most vulnerable families
(LWI) - When *Dalal arrived at a psychosocial center run by The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and its partners in Syria, she carried years of unspoken trauma following her displacement from Al-Fardous, a neighborhood in the city of Aleppo, at the start of the Syrian conflict in 2012.
Like many families, she had fled her home due to violence and insecurity. At the center she participated in breathing exercises, journaling, and emotional awareness sessions that were at first challenging because of her illiteracy, but she slowly found relief through her supportive and trained facilitators. “Those psychosocial sessions were my way out,” she said. “I am not lost in my feelings anymore.”
Those psychosocial sessions were my way out. I am not lost in my feelings anymore.
Dalal, Syria
Dalal’s story is one of many testimonies documented by a team from the LWF country program in Syria, revealing how small interventions can restore dignity, safety, and hope. They are part of the LWF’s recently completed five-month recovery and resilience project supporting survivors of the earthquake that struck the country and neighboring Türkiye in 2023. Through psychosocial and health care, provision of food baskets and hygiene kits to the most vulnerable, thousands of people are finding dignity, safety and hope again.
Funded by the Presbyterian Church (USA), the project provided mental health support, community awareness, and essential humanitarian assistance to some of Aleppo’s most vulnerable families.
For Fatenn Kharsa, training with the newly established community health committee quickly became a lifesaver. When a relative displayed worrying symptoms, she monitored the blood pressure for two weeks, catching dangerously high levels that led to an early diagnosis. Her experience shows how community knowledge can protect entire families.
Bassam Al-Khalaf, who cares for ten relatives, including three children with disabilities, said food and hygiene kits eased a heavy burden for him. “I cannot afford these supplies,” he said. “So the care kits were a big support for us.”
A community-based approach to healing and stability
Through a comprehensive mental health and psychosocial support program, the project reached 1,470 people with group and individual counselling, psychological first aid, home visits for those unable to travel, and structured therapy sessions for children and adults. A five-day specialized training also equipped 22 local staff and community health workers with trauma-focused skills, strengthening local capacity to continue providing support long after the project concludes.
To strengthen knowledge and resilience at community level, awareness sessions were organized on coping with stress, emotional regulation, prevention of gender-based violence and early marriage, as well as family communication. Messaging was amplified through thousands of printed leaflets and a digital campaign that reached 24,000 people.
A key achievement was the establishment of two community health committees in Al-Fardous and Al-Salehin neighborhoods, comprising 23 volunteer women and men. Following training in early detection of hypertension and diabetes, promoting disease prevention, and sharing vital health information, the committees now serve as a trusted first line of support in their neighborhoods.
Assistance with immediate needs
Following the assessment of 1,200 households, the humanitarian team identified the most vulnerable families and assisted over 7,000 individuals. Almost 5,000 received food baskets, while 1,500 got hygiene kits, and 300 baby diaper kits and 300 dignity kits were provided to women and girls. Monitoring after distribution showed that all recipients are keen to continue receiving similar services, especially in an area with severe economic hardships.
Small interventions are restoring dignity, safety, and hope. Photo: Mohammad – Al-Ta’alouf Association
An LWF team walks through the rubble. Photo: Mohammad – Al-Ta’alouf Association
The program provided spaces for emotional recovery. Photo: Mohammad – Al-Ta’alouf Association
Meanwhile, training in protection, preventing gender-based violence and mental health and psychosocial support significantly enhanced the confidence and professionalism of frontline staff. Home-based psychological first aid visits proved particularly effective for people with mobility challenges, and internal referral mechanisms between assessment, psychosocial, and distribution teams ensured coherent, needs-based support.
Significantly, the project’s approach created safe spaces for dialogue on sensitive topics. Community members processed collective trauma and strengthened social cohesion in neighborhoods deeply affected by displacement and economic strain.
A sustainable foundation for long-term resilience
LWF’s partnership with local implementing partner, the Al-Ta’alouf Association, along with coordination with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor, Humanitarian Action Coordination, the Syria Development Organization, and the Protection, Child Protection, and Food Security sectors, ensured alignment with government structures and humanitarian standards. The activation of community health volunteers, the increased acceptance of mental health services, and the expanded local capacity represent lasting assets that continue working beyond the project’s lifecycle.
The February 2023 earthquake in Syria and Türkiye devastated an already vulnerable population. Before the disaster, more than 15 million people in Syria required humanitarian assistance after years of conflict, economic decline, and crumbling infrastructure. The twin quakes, measuring 7.8 and 7.5, caused extensive destruction across Aleppo, Latakia, Tartous, Hama, and Idlib, damaging homes, public services, and essential facilities.
In 2024, evolving political and administrative changes further reshaped the humanitarian landscape, affecting access to services, movement, and local governance structures. These shifts intensified pressure on already fragile systems, leaving many communities facing overlapping crises, as well as heightened protection, economic, and psychosocial needs.
* Name used for protection.
