Syria’s White Helmets continue to help people in devastated Aleppo

In Aleppo, Syria, Abu Ahmed illuminates an explosive device with the flashlight of his mobile phone, a device he discovered in the basement of a building. This building served as a military outpost for government forces during the Syrian war, housing soldiers, tanks, and ammunition.

Now, Abu Ahmed commands the Syrian Civil Defense organization, the "White Helmets," at their base within the building. Throughout the war and after the 2023 earthquake, the White Helmets' volunteers worked tirelessly, rescuing people from the rubble and providing them with emergency assistance.

They moved into the building just over a month after opposition forces led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) occupied Aleppo on November 30 and ousted the Bashar al-Assad regime eight days later. Abu Ahmed says remnants of the former regime are everywhere, with discarded military uniforms, tank shells, and soldiers' personal belongings strewn about as people fled the outpost.

Pro-government graffiti remains. One message reads: "With our souls, with our blood, we will sacrifice ourselves for you, Bashar." The name "Bashar" is crossed out with a red X. After 13 years of war, the White Helmets have much to do. They are clearing rubble, removing mines from buildings, and searching for mass graves – traces of the battles that choked the city between 2012 and 2016, leading to the government forces retaking the opposition-held areas of Aleppo and making it one of Syria's most war-torn cities.

Abu Ahmed, one of the first "White Helmet" volunteers in 2013, witnessed it all. As Russia bombed Aleppo from the air, the White Helmets risked their lives to pull people from the rubble. Russia used "double-tap" bombings, waiting for rescuers to arrive after the initial strike before attacking again, targeting the first responders. "I lost five close people because of this Russian tactic, but the worst was the helicopters dropping barrel bombs," Abu Ahmed recalls.

Before the battle of Aleppo, the building was used as a fire station, and government forces brought the firefighters back to share the space with the military after retaking the city in 2016. Now, Abu Ahmed hopes to incorporate the fire department into the White Helmets' work, despite their past service to the Assad regime. "We forgive them for what they did, and what matters now is working together to rebuild the city," he said.