What you can actually do to help the people in Aleppo

It’s easy to feel bad about Syria. It’s easy to share a harrowing video on Facebook, to call for the horrors to end, to organise a protest in which you shake your head and tell the world you #StandWithAleppo. What’s harder, though, is to actually help.

The current situation in Aleppo has been described by the UN as a “complete meltdown of humanity.” Schools and hospitals are being destroyed; innocent men, women and children are being slaughtered in their homes.

But there’s hope, and that hope is provided by those making a difference on the ground – the charities, medical organisations and heroic volunteers fighting to end the suffering. Here are just some of the ways that you, at home, can help.

Fund projects to help Syrian Children

Save the Children are on the ground in Syria, providing relief for young children and their families caught up in the crisis. Donate to them here.

The Karam foundation is running an emergency aid programme for the children of Syria, both supporting refugee children who have left and providing emergency aid for those still there. You can see their site here.

Donate towards medical aid

Médecins Sans Frontières are among the last remaining organisations helping doctors in Aleppo, supporting eight hospitals in the city despite being unable to gain access to the besieged area. You can donate to them here.

On the frontline, the Syrian American Medical Society have already treated 2.7 million injured Syrians, as well as training and supporting Syrian health workers. Visit their site here.

Support Syrian charities

Aid charity Syria Relief provide medical help and shelter, but they’ve also set up a mental health centre for those affected by events, and funded a special prosthetics project for those who’ve lost limbs. Donate here.

Emergency aid is also being provided by Hand in Hand for Syria, and Planet Syria are campaiging to end the violence.

Help refugees fleeing the city

The British Red Cross are delivering essential care packages, including food, water and medical supplies, to over 1,000 families who have been forced to flee their homes. You can donate here.

Meanwhile, the Preemptive Love Coalition are stationed just a few miles outside of the city, providing 20,000 refugees with food, warmth and shelter. You can help fund them here.

Give money to the White Helmets

The Syria Civil Defense, who have become known as the White Helmets due to their trademark headwear, are a volunteer organisation who work to rescue injured people from the rubble of collapsed buildings.

You can donate to their “hero fund” here, which aids injured White Helmets and supports the families of those who have died volunteering.

Write to your MP

One of the most important things you can do on a local level is to petition your local MP or MEP, whether that’s by asking your local representative to support aid drops in Aleppo, or by putting pressure on your Local Government Association to accept more refugees.