Private Sector Development
Inclusive Economic Development
Syria
Overview
Near East Foundation has worked in Syria since 2017, promoting food security, agriculture, small enterprise development and lending, and institutional development. Our multidisciplinary team includes staff in Syria, regional staff in Jordan and Iraq, and additional support and oversight from our US, UK and Belgium-based headquarters.
We are the only international organization with a lending program in northeast Syria, filling a critical need for access to finance among Syrians impacted by conflict and climate change.
NEF’s current work in Syria builds upon NEF’s long commitment to Syria’s development, which dates back to its earliest days when NEF helped to resettle and provide relief to more than one million Armenian, Assyrian, and Greek refugees and orphans after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. As the humanitarian crisis abated, NEF continued to work in Syria for many decades, pioneering innovative economic and social development activities in agriculture, vocational training and youth development.
Programs
The People
Our work is inspired and driven by the people and communities we serve. The people we meet are strong and resourceful, yet challenged by various complexities and barriers. Their stories of resilience and determination prove that partnering and investing at the community level is the most effective way to create meaningful and lasting change.
