SYRIA
Following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024, Syria is undergoing a fragile transitional period. Many people in Syria hope for a new political beginning and justice for the crimes committed under the Assad dictatorship. At the same time, the threat of further destabilization and violence remains. The Islamist militia Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) has established an interim government whose legitimacy and human rights record are contested. It poses an immediate threat to minorities, among others. There are serious concerns that the current government is not pursuing a transformation process based on the rule of law, inclusivity and democracy.
The situation in North and East Syria (Rojava) deteriorated dramatically in early 2026. The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria came under massive military attack by forces of the so-called Syrian “interim government”, allied Islamist militias and Turkish-backed forces. This was accompanied by serious human rights violations, mass displacement, targeted attacks on civilian infrastructure and the release of IS fighters. Electricity and water supplies were cut off, cities were besieged and hospitals came under fire. A ceasefire is currently in place, and efforts to integrate the Kurdish-led administration are being advanced. However, hundreds of thousands of civilians remain under immediate threat, including in the besieged city of Kobanê. At the same time, the risk of the so-called “Islamic State” regaining strength is growing, with potentially far-reaching consequences for the entire region and beyond. Germany and the European Union also have a responsibility in this regard and must help ensure that democracy, justice, minority protection and participation are pursued in Syria.
Lessons learned in Iraq in the aftermath of the genocide of the Yazidis by the so-called Islamic State (IS) – particularly in Sinjar, where the genocide took place, and in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, where many survivors found refuge and support – show how support services, justice processes and reintegration can be sustainably rooted in local communities. These experiences offer important lessons for Syria, highlighting which structures strengthen survivors and how key cross-border challenges – such as return, minority protection, psychosocial stabilization and legal proceedings – can be effectively addressed.
HÁWAR.help e. V. was founded in response to the genocide of the Yazidis and has continuously evolved since then, from an initiative focused on raising awareness and increasing visibility to an internationally active human rights organization. Our work encompasses advocacy, education and development programmes, as well as close collaboration with diverse groups affected by violence and discrimination – in Iraq, Syria and beyond. Our work is guided by a clear principle: A just and stable Syria can only emerge if survivors of violence, as well as women and minorities, are placed at the centre. Their experiences, voices and knowledge are essential to a just and sustainable new beginning for society.
In Syria, we are developing projects together with local partners and implementing measures that combine psychosocial stabilisation with access to justice, transitional justice and a culture of remembrance. We support marginalized groups – particularly women and minorities – whose perspectives are often overlooked. We are working towards a Syria in which people can actively shape social and political change through their own agency: a Syria that is just, pluralistic and respectful of human dignity.
The largest Syrian diaspora outside the Middle East is based in Germany (according to Mediendienst Integration, approximately one million people as of September 2025). As an internationally active human rights organisation based in Germany, we have a particular responsibility to make the voices of those affected visible, strengthen them and create spaces in which their experiences, demands and perspectives are heard.
