Running for Action Syria
On 18th October 2026 I will be running the Yorkshire Marathon to fundraise in aid of Action Syria. I discovered this extraordinary charity a few years ago when they were previously known as the Hands Up Foundation. I am always in awe of the work they do, and I hope to inspire you to support them too.
Action Syria began in 2012 as a response to the conflict which grew out of the Syrian uprising in 2011. Four friends gathered around a kitchen table to share Syrian food and fundraise to show their friends in Syria that they were not alone. These friends had a deep love for this country having spent time there learning Arabic, studying and working - they wanted to help their friends but also share their love for Syrian people, their culture and traditions.
Since then the charity has had an incredible impact on health and education in Syria, raising over £8 million of humanitarian assistance. In the second half of 2024 alone, they helped 17,695 people.
Now as Syria is trying to rebuild a new, just, diverse nation, Action Syria continues to work on the ground with communities who have already been doing this for years. 90 per cent of Syria’s population still live in poverty, 16.7 million people - including 7.5 million children - still need humanitarian assistance, 7.4 million are displaced and 90% of the population live in poverty. Millions face food insecurity, inadequate shelter and failing health and water systems. Half of hospitals are non-functional and millions of children remain out of school. At least 7000 schools are also damaged or destroyed.
As humanitarian aid funding has dropped globally, it is more important than ever to support charities like Action Syria who are working with communities on the ground to provide vital aid and support to a country that could take decades, if not years to rebuild, and generations to heal.
There are three strands to Action Syria’s work: education, health, and emergencies.
Our vision is still the same: to help Syrians rebuild their lives with
health, opportunity and hope, while ensuring that Action Syria remains
focused, effective, and sustainable. However, as this report shows, for
the first time in over a decade, we have the opportunity to support partners
working with communities across all regions inside Syria, marking an
important shift in how we support Syrian communities during this fragile transition.
Programme Report, January 2026
Education
Action Syria supports their local partner SAWA for Development and Aid to provide a school for 116 Syrian refugee children living in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley. Approximately 1.3 million Syrian refugees live in Lebanon and without this school they many children would have no access to education at all. Action Syria also funds the salaries of their teachers plus 12 support staff. This is vital to provide a stable income which helps to support their families.
Action Syria is also working with the Abjad Initiative for Education to restore schools in Syria where at least 7000 schools have been damaged or destroyed. Working in partnership with Abjad Initiative for Education, Action Syria supported the full rehabilitation of Zamalka Primary School. This project has created lasting change for children, teachers and he wider community in Zamalka.
Please read more about this work and the hope it has brought to Syrians here.
Health
In the past, Action Syria has funded amazing healthcare projects such as a Primary Health Clinic and Prosthetics Programme in north-west Syria. Action Syria are not currently funding their healthcare programmes because the funds are not there. But the need hasn’t gone:
Over 15 million people require urgent health assistance
Almost half a million children are at risk of severe malnutrition
Only 37% of primary healthcare centres are fully functional
Action Syria is seeking new support to resume this work where Syria’s healthcare system is in crisis. Their healthcare clinics have delivered healthcare to thousands of patients in remote areas where no other healthcare services are available. You can read more about Action Syria’s new programme strategy here. I have drawn out information from the January 2026 Programme Report, but you can read previous programme reports pre-dating the fall of the Assad regime in the further reading below. These reports detail more about the healthcare clinics.
Emergencies
Action Syria has strong relationships with partners on the ground to respond quickly when emergencies strike to provide vital aid.
In the early hours of Monday 6th February 2023 a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Türkiye and Syria, followed by another one nearly as strong, devasting communities.
Since the earthquakes, we’ve worked with partners to deliver
vital medical supplies, baby formula for orphans and infants,
psychological support, and cash assistance to families who lost
everything. Our partnerships ensure aid reaches those who need it
most, quickly and effectively.
Sharing Syrian traditions and culture
A fundamental thread in their work is also cultivating and inspiring a deep love for Syrian culture and tradition, gathering people together to do so. This is where it all started too – friends gathered around a kitchen table simply wanted to help their friends and connect people to what was happening. Usually when we hear about Syria in the media, it’s about war and conflict. Action Syria want to change this, encouraging us to talk to our friends and family. This is a great way to hear about other people’s understanding of Syria. Do they know much about Syria beyond the war and the headlines? Encourage one another to engage in Syrian culture, listen to Syrian music, eat delicious Syrian recipes and read books! I’ve put together a list of resources at the end of this blog post to get you started.
The challenge
As part of my marathon training, I will also be running half marathons and 10ks to further contribute miles towards Action Syria’s challenge where fundraisers will collectively run 2,026 miles for 2026. I’m so excited to see and hear about how other people find this challenge. I’ve never run further than a half-marathon before so this is definitely a combination of nerves and excitement!
Every month I will be writing a blog post on my website connected to the three strands of Action Syria’s work. I will also be sharing literature, recipes, stories – anything that might be of interest. I hope you will be inspired to learn and share with your friends and family.
Finally, before I share the resources below, I want to tell you about Action Syria’s supper clubs if you’re not aware already. The Syrian Supper Clubs were re-launched on Tuesday 3rd February. These are wonderful opportunities to gather friends and family together, cook up some delicious recipes, learn about Syria, all while donating to the incredible programmes of work you read about above.
If you can’t attend the supper clubs or host one of your own, but would still like to start making your own Syrian recipes for either your own learning or to share with friends and family, you can subscribe to Action Syria Recipes. You will recipe monthly new recipes from Action Syria’s chef friends and a playlist for your culinary journey. You also choose how much to donate.
Over the next few months leading up to the October marathon, I will be posting articles on this website and MENAb00ks Review platform to share further information about the work of Action Syria, updates on training and races, as well as Syrian history and culture. I hope you join me on this journey. If you are able to donate, anything you can kindly give will go far to supporting this wonderful charity. JustGiving has 0% platform fees for donations. All funds will go direct to the charity. Please visit my fundraising page here.
Thank you so much.
Georgia
Further reading
If you complete a general search about books, art, and films about Syria, what you will often come across are resources about the conflict. The conflict has undeniably had a profound impact on the artists, writers, and filmmakers of Syria. The resources below are mostly about the conflict, but I have also included resources about Syria’s cultural history and traditions too.
Talks/articles
Working inside Syria: A summary of Action Syria’s evolving strategy: this article details Action Syria’s priorities as a charity moving forward. You can read more about Action Syria’s 2025-2028 Strategy here.
Beyond the Headlines – Life in Syria Today with Rose Essam, George Butler and Mazen Gharibah; On Wednesday 23rd April 2025, Action Syria CEO, Rose Essam, sat down with Trustees Mazen Gharibah and George Butler, to explore what life is like for Syrian communities today. You can read the key takeaways here.
Students give a tour of SAWA’s school which is supported by Action Syria:
Restoring education in Zamalka, Syria (rural Damascus)
Syria in Focus: Panel 1: ‘This session brings Syria closer to the room through real stories and reflections from those with deep ties to the country — whether through recent visits, ongoing partnerships, or lived experience. Speakers will explore what has changed since the fall of Assad, and what remains most urgent today. The panel highlights the power of Syrian-led, community-driven work and offers insight into the day-to-day realities shaping life inside Syria today.
Syria in Focus: Panel 2: ‘This session explores the bigger picture — what Syrians need most right now — from humanitarian assistance and economic recovery, to social cohesion and peacebuilding. The discussion will reinforce the importance of centring Syrian voices and leadership — and the responsibility of the international community to listen and act accordingly.’
Action Syria Programme Reports mentioned above
January 2026 Programme Report: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://actionsyria.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/January-2026-Programme-Report.pdf.
January 2024 Programme Report: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://actionsyria.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/January-2024-Programme-Report.pdf.
Articles
The difference education can make: A visit to SAWA School, Lebanon (November 2025).
In 2021 I interned with a business called Pink Jinn and had the opportunity to format and publish a guest post by Action Syria which was then The Hands up Foundation. As well as writing about the complex political landscape of the Middle East, Pink Jinn have a mission to celebrate Middle Eastern culture and have published really interesting blog posts on Syria. While interning for Pink Jinn I created a platform called MENAb00ks Review to share literature by Middle Eastern writers. Over the next few months I hope to get this work up and running again with lots of interesting articles.
Literature
Syria’s Secret Library, Mike Thomson
Butterfly, Yusra Mardini
War Doctor: Surgery on the Front Line, David Nott
Syria: A Recent History, John McHugo
The Beekeeper of Aleppo, Christy Lefteri
Pink Jinn have published a blog post on 10 essential books about Syria. The reading list comprises stories of conflict but also of Arabic poetry and food.
Goodreads and The Markaz Review lists some books on Syria.
Arab Lit magazine
Documentaries/films
For Sama, Waad al-Kateab and Edward Watts
Born in Syria, a film by Hernán Zin
A History of Modern Syria, Daniel Neep
Think tank Chatham House publishes research on Syria by experts on the Middle East.
Art
Food
Sumac: Recipes and stories from Syria, Anas Atassi. I absolutely love this recipe book. Through recipes, Atassi brings to life his childhood in Homs.
Imad’s Syrian Kitchen: A love Letter from Damascus to London, Imad Alarnab. You can visit Imad’s Syrian Kitchen in London.
Abel & Cole sell Seville Orange & Cardamom Marmalade that is inspired by Syria’s bitter oranges growing in the old City of Damascus. £1.50 of every jar is donated to Action Syria. I gave these as Christmas presents a few years ago. I think the recipe was a little different but as a massive fan of cardamom I can’t wait to order this one!
Global Citizen has referenced further resources you can read, watch or listen to, to understand the conflict.