- SYRIA HUMANITARIAN APPEAL -

Dear friends,

For the first time in 14 years, I returned to my home in Syria.

People were dancing and hugging in the street, celebrating the fall of a tyrant. We are tasting freedom, but the horror isn’t over yet.

Today 13 million Syrians don't have enough food to eat, and 7 million are displaced. We don't have enough functioning hospitals. And many families are frantically searching for their loved ones amidst the chaos.

This is an urgent appeal to get life-saving support into Syria -- and help rebuild the country we have dreamed about.

Once banned by the Assad regime, local groups and self-organised volunteers are now providing food and shelter, and opening access routes for displaced families to return home.

They aren’t just saving lives, they're helping Syrians take the first steps out of darkness. With emergency funding, they could reach thousands more -- just as the needs of a country crushed by decades of terror become overwhelming.

What we raise from this email will have a direct impact on the ground -- and Avaaz can get funds into Syria FAST. And the more we raise, the more we can expand our efforts to others in need, across the region.

Please donate what you can today to help Syrians finally rebuild their lives: 

For decades, my country has only known destruction and terror. Assad’s regime used bombs and chemical weapons against us, killing half a million people. Families were forced to flee, leaving everything behind.

The humanitarian needs today have never been greater. Nearly 70% of the population requires aid, and our refugee crisis is the largest in the world.

Local groups are doing the best they can. But they simply can’t afford to wait for government funding to arrive.

Funds raised with this emergency appeal could:

• Deliver emergency medical aid, food supplies, fuel, blankets, and shelter to thousands of displaced and critically injured;
• Fund a local and trusted team of civil defenders to scale up their operations across Syria -- removing rubble, clearing roads, de-mining and deactivating explosive devices to ensure the safe return of families and children;
• Provide shelter, livelihood and psycho-social support to former detainees who suffered torture and sexual violence at the hands of Assad regime;
• Support local truth and reconciliation groups as they document previous abuses, and mobilise communities to advocate for an inclusive Syria -- where rights of minorities and women are protected and enshrined into legislation; and,
• Continue to campaign on freedom, peace and security while helping grassroots efforts in Syria, Palestine, and Sudan to end the wars and guarantee rights and dignity for all.

Syria is free of its dictator, but rebuilding the country will take massive efforts. The world turned its back on us before -- we can’t let it happen again. Donate what you can now:

Avaaz members have stood with Syrians throughout 13 years of civil war and two devastating earthquakes. Your generous contributions provided lifesaving aid that pulled people out of the rubble -- thank you. Today, we need your support more than ever before, this time to start rebuilding after years of chaos and crisis. 

In gratitude and hope,

Wissam and the whole team at Avaaz 

PS. This might be your first donation to our movement ever. But what a first donation! Did you know that Avaaz relies entirely on small donations from members like you? That's why we're fully independent, nimble and effective. Join the over 1 million people who've donated to make Avaaz a real force for good in the world.

More information:

1. Syria refugee crisis explained (UNCHR)
2. The global players in Syria before and after Assad (BBC)
3. Syrians face return to a shattered nation (Politico)
4. Dawn in Damascus (New Lines Magazine)