Three years on from the 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Türkiye and Syria, the path to recovery for Syria has shifted from addressing a humanitarian emergency to dealing with protracted compounding crises. The seismic scars of 2023 are now being deepened by climate-driven disasters, most recently observed in the severe flooding in February 2026 that submerged camps across Northwest Syria. These floods are a stark reminder of the chronic vulnerabilities displaced communities endure; families already displaced many times now face destroyed shelters, contaminated water, and escalated protection risks for women and children.
As earthquake recovery in Syria converges with the challenges of post-war reconstruction, humanitarian responses and recovery efforts must be climate-responsive, and fundamentally, they must be locally led and based on local needs. Women, youth, and Syrian civil society organizations remain as the indispensable frontline responders navigating shifting political pressures to heal trauma and rebuild livelihoods, just as they did as first responders to the earthquake disaster.
In the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, CCSD launched the #Together campaign, a rapid-mobilization effort that prioritized support for localized resources. Partnering with more than forty grassroots organizations across Northwest Syria and Türkiye, we facilitated the distribution of life-saving assistance (food, shelter, and heat) for over 100,000 individuals. In this initial phase, we also provided psychosocial and administrative assistance, enabling local partners to operate effectively despite the heavy burden of the catastrophe
As the crisis has transitioned into a protracted recovery phase, we focused on community-led initiatives that bridge the gap between survival and dignity, between humanitarian and peace-building. For example, in Afrin, where infrastructure remains critically damaged, we invested in pairing technical solutions with community-led hygiene advocacy. We funded the installation of 80 solar-powered streetlights and provided sustainable water filtration for 130 families. Our interventions supported over 100,000 people in Northwest Syria in 2025. We provided psychological support to around 300 civil society actors, which helped address the invisible wounds and trauma, and fostered a deeper level of resilience to continue the hard work to help communities recover and rebuild.
Throughout 2026, CCSD is committed to strategically addressing some of the enduring challenges by:
- Empowering Local Civil Society Organizations
We support grassroots organizations, with a concentration on women- and youth-focused groups rebuilding the infrastructure and livelihoods of their own neighborhoods. - Providing Psychosocial Support for Civil Society Actors
Strengthening resilience requires caring for the people who sustain and lead the response forward. CCSD will facilitate access to webinars and individual counseling for the frontline humanitarian workers facing chronic stress and secondary trauma. - Strengthening Protection Against Gender-Based Violence (GBV)
Displacement settings and overcrowded camps have significantly increased the risks of violence against women and girls. CCSD will continue to provide financial and technical expertise to women-focused organizations as they establish protection mechanisms and expand safe spaces.
We invite Syrian civil society organizations to engage with our collaborative forums. Syrian civil society actors, especially youth, can benefit from our mental health services through this Link. We encourage Syrian women’s civil society leaders to join our Space for Collaboration and engage in the initiative to advance sectoral reform through a gender lens.
We recognize that Syrian civil society organizations need to invest in rebuilding, addressing evolving community needs, and strengthening institutions by retaining specialized staff, addressing staff trauma and stress, and ensuring gender-sensitive policies. For this reason, we urge regional and international donors and institutions to support flexible, multi-year funding for Syrian organizations and psychosocial services, and to integrate gender-sensitive policies across all sectors of the recovery.
