Dan for Relief and Development (DRD), in partnership with Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA), has completed the distribution of barley to livestock farmers in villages affiliated with the Sanjak Saadoun Council, near the city of Amuda in northern rural Al-Hasakah, as part of the activities of the “Women’s Empowerment in Raqqa and Al-Hasakah” project

Based on defined eligibility criteria, the activity reached 75 women from 11 villages who own or manage small livestock herds. Each beneficiary received one ton of barley and 10 kilograms of feed supplements.

This support aims to improve livestock health and productivity, reduce animal husbandry costs, and strengthen livelihoods based on livestock rearing, contributing to increased household income and improved capacity to cope with economic pressures.

To further enhance the impact of this intervention, DRD also conducted a four-day specialized training for women livestock farmers. The training covered livestock nutrition management, methods for improving productivity, and approaches to reducing animal husbandry costs, strengthening participants’ knowledge and skills while supporting the sustainability of their income sources.

The “Women’s Empowerment in Raqqa and Al-Hasakah” project is implemented through an integrated approach combining food security, sustainable livelihoods, and protection, with the aim of strengthening the resilience of the most vulnerable women and girls, with a particular focus on survivors of violence, female-headed households, and displaced women.

In addition to supporting small-scale livestock farmers, the project includes economic empowerment pathways through vocational training and entrepreneurship support for 50 women in Raqqa, as well as conditional cash grants to establish income-generating businesses based on approved business plans. The project also supports the formation of women’s groups and provides training on disaster risk reduction and early warning systems to protect agricultural assets from climate-related shocks.

The project also includes protection activities, including community awareness, psychosocial support for women, and emergency cash assistance for critical cases, based on protection assessments that uphold privacy and confidentiality.

Through these interventions, Dan for Relief and Development seeks to strengthen food security and the stability of productive household assets among female-headed households, support sustainable economic empowerment pathways, and enhance women’s ability to gradually transition from reliance on humanitarian assistance toward productive livelihoods and improved income sources. The project also engages beneficiaries and local stakeholders in planning and follow-up, contributing to the sustainability of its outcomes.

As part of the “Women’s Empowerment in Al-Hasakah and Raqqa” project, Dan for Relief and Development (DRD) completed a specialised training for women livestock keepers in the Sanjak Saadoun sub-district council, in the rural area of Amuda, Al-Hasakah Governorate, in partnership with Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA)

In rural Amuda, the training targeted 89 women livestock keepers from 11 villages within the Sanjak Saadoun sub-district. The four-day training aimed to strengthen participants’ knowledge and skills in livestock feed management, contributing to improved productivity, reduced livestock-raising costs, and enhanced livelihoods and household economic security.
The training covered a range of practical topics, including feed management and understanding different types of fodder, preparing balanced rations, and properly preserving and storing feed. It also highlighted the links between proper nutrition, animal health and productivity, and the economic viability of livestock farming.

This training is part of the project’s interventions to support women engaged in livestock production. Eligible beneficiaries will also receive barley feed rations and feed supplements, helping households preserve their productive assets and improve their returns.
The “Women’s Empowerment in Al-Hasakah and Raqqa” project follows a Nexus approach, integrating food security, sustainable livelihoods, and protection from gender-based violence to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable women and girls in rural Amuda, Al-Hasakah, and Raqqa City. The project focuses particularly on survivors of violence, women-headed households, and displaced women.

Areas of Work and Economic Empowerment
Food Security and Livelihoods:
The project supports women livestock keepers through the distribution of feed rations to eligible women in rural Amuda, alongside practical training on integrated feed management to improve productivity and reduce economic costs.

Other Economic Empowerment Pathways:
The project provides vocational and entrepreneurship training for 50 women in Raqqa, along with conditional cash grants to start income-generating businesses based on approved business plans. It also supports the formation of women’s groups and provides training on disaster risk reduction and early warning systems to protect agricultural assets from climate-related shocks.
Protection:
The project includes community awareness activities, a structured psychosocial support programme for women, and emergency cash assistance for critical cases, based on protection assessments that uphold privacy and confidentiality.

Through these interventions, Dan for Relief and Development aims to strengthen food security and the stability of productive household assets, particularly for women-headed households, support sustainable economic empowerment pathways, and help address protection gaps while promoting a safer and more inclusive community environment.

The project also places a strong emphasis on sustainability by strengthening community ownership and involving women beneficiaries in planning and decision-making. This supports a gradual transition from reliance on assistance towards self-reliance and production, while working with local authorities to ensure continued technical oversight of women’s groups and start-up businesses after the project ends.

Data-Driven Response

The “Dan for Relief and Development” Foundation has successfully completed the preparation of the “Multi-Sector Needs Assessment (MSNA) Report” for 2026 in the rural countryside of Ras al-Ain / Sere Kaniye district, Al-Hasakah Governorate. This comprehensive assessment serves as a strategic tool providing a credible and reliable knowledge baseline to assist UN agencies, international organizations, and humanitarian funds active in Syria in designing and planning sectoral and sustainable response programs that address current urgent needs, while supporting preparedness building to receive the expected return of displaced persons to their villages and original areas in the coming period.

The assessment was implemented in full coordination and collaboration with the Directorate of Social Affairs and Labor in Al-Hasakah, the Directorate of Ras al-Ain / Sere Kaniye District, and in close partnership with local stakeholders and community leaders to ensure the comprehensiveness of field data. The field data collection process was carried out during the period from July 5 to 13, 2026.

Methodology and Knowledge Impact

The assessment adopted a mixed-methods approach to ensure indicator accuracy; it included a field survey of 365 households (comprising 2,099 individuals) spread across 5 rural villages, cross-referenced with 19 Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) to cover 13 humanitarian and vital sectors.

Critical Sectoral Gaps (Key Assessment Findings):

Livelihoods and Economic Emergency: The community is experiencing a structural economic emergency; 88.5% of households suffer from a continuous monthly financial deficit (expenditures exceeding income), while 83.3% of households were severely affected by currency depreciation, making poverty and inflation the primary driver of 94.2% of community tensions and local stability challenges.

Protection and Humanitarian Security Gaps: The assessment identified a critical protection gap, as 89.6% of the population had not received any Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE), alongside alarming indicators regarding child labor (54%) and early and forced marriage of girls (52.1%).

Water Quality and Environmental Gap (WASH): Although network coverage reaches 92.9%, the real gap lies in water safety; 96.7% of households do not apply any form of drinking water treatment, with 41.6% reporting a noticeable decrease in available water quantity.

Health and Education Gaps: 53.4% of households faced real barriers in accessing basic medical care due to the high cost of treatment and medicine, which parallels an educational crisis; 41.1% of households suffer from partial or complete child dropout from education due to direct financial burdens.

The assessment adopted a mixed-methods approach to ensure indicator accuracy; it included a field survey of 365 households (comprising 2,099 individuals) spread across 5 rural villages, cross-referenced with 19 Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) to cover 13 humanitarian and vital sectors.

The report provides a clear roadmap for international funding and implementing agencies to intervene through integrated programs that balance emergency response and early recovery support:

· Livelihoods and Food Security: Expand multi-purpose cash assistance (MPCA) programs and urgent food aid to cover the monthly household deficit and alleviate immediate economic pressures.

· Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Promotion: Focus on ensuring water quality at points of use, rehabilitating existing networks, and supporting the operation of pumping stations through sustainable energy sources (such as solar energy, which is currently available at 94.7% in targeted locations).

· Protection and Mine Action: Launch urgent Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE) campaigns targeting agricultural fields and pastures to ensure the safety of returnees and local residents, while strengthening traditional local mediation mechanisms trusted by over 89% of the community.

· Health and Education: Re-supply primary healthcare centers with essential and chronic medicines, support education costs (safe transportation, stationery) to reduce school dropout rates among adolescent girls, and incentivize cash-for-work programs to support damaged infrastructure.

The “Dan for Relief and Development” Foundation extends its thanks and appreciation to government entities for overcoming obstacles and facilitating humanitarian access to ensure the success of this assessment. We affirm our full readiness for joint cooperation and coordination with international partners and UN agencies to invest these field data in formulating effective response plans that support the resilience of vulnerable communities and prepare the ground for a sustainable and safe return

For years, the agricultural sector in northern Raqqa has suffered from the impact of ongoing conflict, resulting in the deterioration of agricultural systems, destruction of infrastructure, and limited access to modern farming technologies. These conditions have left agricultural cooperatives and small-scale farmers increasingly vulnerable to challenges.

Technical Capacity-Building Project

In response to these challenges, DAN Relief and Development launched a project aimed at strengthening the skills of agricultural cooperative members through the establishment of “Farmer Field Schools.” The project is being implemented in Yarmouk Farm (Khirbet Al‑Inab Cooperative) and Jarboua Village (Al‑Noor Cooperative), focusing on climate-smart agriculture techniques for vegetable production in protected environments.

The project includes creating a model environment featuring one greenhouse and 0.2 hectares of plastic tunnels at each site. These training platforms have become key hubs for exchanging knowledge and modern agricultural practices among farmers, enhancing the community’s ability to adapt to climate change.

Project Benefits and Outcomes

The project helps develop farmers’ skills in several areas, including:

Sustainable Production: Promoting climate-smart agriculture practices such as efficient irrigation systems, integrated pest management, and soil health.

Improved Productivity: Through protected agriculture techniques, farmers can increase productivity, improve crop quality, and extend the growing season.

Economic Empowerment: The project reduces farmers’ reliance on external aid, strengthens food security, and creates opportunities for diversifying income sources.

Community Collaboration and Learning: It encourages participatory learning among farmers and fosters innovation within cooperatives by transferring knowledge to the wider community.

Activities and Progress

Since the project was launched in September 2025, DAN has conducted training sessions on cooperative management and cooperative marketing. Agricultural activities have also begun: plastic greenhouses were installed in November 2025, seedlings were distributed in November in designated trays, and the irrigation network was prepared. Crops were protected from cold using white mesh and black mulch.

Future Outcomes

The project is expected to enhance agricultural communities’ capacity to face climate change challenges and improve resilience to future climate-related shocks. It also contributes to building a sustainable farming model in conflict-affected areas, strengthening food security and economic stability in the region.