State of the World from NPR

A New Mission for Syria's Famed White Helmets

Apr 25, 2025
Ask episode
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
ANECDOTE

White Helmets Win Damascus Trust

  • Firefighters swiftly extinguished a fire in Damascus without asking for bribes, amazing residents.
  • This effort contrasts with previous war-era neglect in providing emergency help in the city.
INSIGHT

White Helmets Shift to Peace Work

  • With Assad gone, White Helmets expanded to all Syria, focusing on post-war recovery.
  • Their new work includes finding missing persons, dealing with mass graves, and clearing cluster munitions.
INSIGHT

White Helmets Sustain Operations

  • White Helmets volunteers transitioned to paid roles and even recruit former regime firefighters.
  • Their operations continue actively, coordinating 15,000 emergencies monthly despite budget cuts.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Get the app