Dan for Relief and Development Foundation (DRD) conducted a dedicated training for non-specialist community leaders, aimed at strengthening the capacity of local communities to prevent and respond to the risks of gender-based violence (GBV), while protecting the most vulnerable groups

The training was implemented as part of the “Women’s Empowerment in Raqqa and Hasakah” project, in partnership with Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA).

The training targeted 30 male and female participants from the city of Amuda and nearby villages in the Sanjak Saadoun sub-district in the Amuda countryside. Each group participated in a two-day training.

The training covered key forms of gender-based violence and their impacts, as well as skills for early identification of risks, effective communication and active listening, maintaining confidentiality and sensitivity when dealing with affected individuals, and understanding safe referral pathways to specialized service providers.

The training was delivered by certified facilitators who had undergone capacity-building and Training of Trainers (ToT) programmes, alongside joint coordination and supervision with community-based personnel. This approach strengthens the role of local capacities in responding to community needs and protecting community members.

Such trainings contribute to reducing the burdens and risk factors faced by the most vulnerable families, strengthening early identification and prevention, raising community awareness, and empowering community leaders to drive positive change and provide better support to their communities.

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

On Sunday, the Dan Relief and Development Foundation (DRD), in partnership with the War Child organization, and in coordination with the Directorate of International Cooperation in Deir ez-Zor, the Directorate of Social Affairs and Labor in Deir ez-Zor, and the Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management – Deir ez-Zor Directorate, carried out an urgent and immediate response to ensure rapid material relief and the immediate stabilization of psychological and emotional well-being for populations severely affected by the Euphrates River flood crisis

Following the sharp rise in the river’s water level, which caused the complete or partial submersion of low-lying areas and sudden displacement in the governorate, our field teams successfully deployed and delivered an integrated emergency aid package targeting 298 vulnerable families, combining urgent cash assistance with vital protection services.

Multipurpose Cash Assistance (MPCA): In line with the project’s emergency intervention framework, each targeted family was provided with an unconditional cash grant of $150 USD. This took place in the western countryside of Deir ez-Zor, in the areas of (Shagra – 192 families, Al-Kubar – 50 families, Zugheir Jazira – 22 families, Hawayej Bou Musa – 9 families, Jazrat Milaj – 25 families).

This support aims to provide immediate material relief, granting affected families the dignity of choice and sufficient flexibility to purchase basic necessities, remove debris, and meet the survival and recovery needs they identify themselves.

Psychological Support and Risk Awareness: Parallel to the financial support, mobile protection teams conducted emergency response sessions for psychological first aid and integrated risk awareness sessions targeting the same families. These sessions focused on reducing the severity of immediate acute psychological distress, supporting mental well-being, and raising awareness among parents, caregivers, and community representatives about the dangerous conditions of the river course to prevent tragic drowning incidents.

Through this life-saving local intervention, DRD remains committed to upholding protection principles and preserving the dignity of flood-affected families during this emergency phase