Unpaid and unarmed, they risk their lives to help those in need 'in all areas' of Syria that they 'can access,' the organization says.
The White Helmets says it formed as a grassroots team of volunteers during the earlier years of Syria's ongoing civil war, which began as a peaceful revolution in the southern city of Dara'a in 2011 before descending into a full-fledged conflict by 2012. When the Syrian regime and its allies began bombing civilian targets in opposition-controlled areas, the White Helmets responded bypeople from the rubble and helping rebuild their homes.
A family is rescued from rubble in this screengrab obtained from social media, in Bisnia, Syria, Feb. 7, 2023.Initially, the volunteers had limited experience and equipment, often digging out victims "with only their bare hands," the organization says. In 2013, some volunteers traveled to neighboring Turkey for their first professional training in urban search and rescue.
White Helmet Syrian rescue workers warm themselves by a fire next to a collapsed building late on Feb. 6, 2022, in the town of Sarmada, in Syria's rebel-held northwestern Idlib province.The White Helmets operates only in rebel-held areas of Syria, though the organization describes itself as non-partisan.
The White Helmets says its volunteers pledge commitment to the principles of "humanity, solidarity, impartiality," as outlined under international humanitarian law. The organization's motto comes from an oft-quoted verse in the Quran: "to save a life is to save all of humanity." Their work has earned them, often described as the "Alternative Nobel," as well as several nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize.
However, many volunteers have paid the ultimate sacrifice -- at least 293 have been killed while saving others, according to the organization's website.
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