Al-Sham Humanitarian Foundation

What Al-Sham Humanitarian Foundation does

Al-Sham Humanitarian Foundation (İnsani Şam Derneği / مؤسسة الشام الإنسانية) is a non-profit humanitarian organization founded in 2012 and registered in Turkey (registration 34-195-143), operating multi-sector humanitarian programs primarily inside Syria. The foundation delivers services across six pillars — Health, Early Recovery, Protection, Food Security and Livelihoods, WASH, and Children and Nutrition — reaching Syrian refugees, internally displaced persons, returnees, and host-community populations concentrated in northwestern Syria (Idlib, Aleppo) and expanding into Homs, Damascus, and Daraa governorates.

The foundation's core operating assets are physical service-delivery facilities rather than technology platforms. These include the Sham Specialized Children's Hospital in Sarmada (a 24/7 pediatric facility serving 120–150 emergency cases daily), Sham Specialized Surgical Hospital in Dana, Sham Specialized Hospital for Internal Diseases in Dana, Izaz National Hospital, a network of primary healthcare centers across Aleppo and Afrin, a protection center in Tal al-Karamah, and a hearing and speech rehabilitation center. Operational programs extend to WASH infrastructure (water network rehabilitation, reservoir construction), orphan sponsorship, vocational training, small-business grants (including for people with disabilities), and food security interventions. All beneficiary-facing services are delivered free of charge.

AHF is funded entirely by institutional donors — including the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Syria Cross-Border Humanitarian Fund (SCHF), Qatar Charity, and bilateral donors such as the Italian Embassy — with no revenue model from end users. The organization employs 73 staff and pursues quality assurance through CHS Alliance membership and HQAI verification. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; 2025 reporting notes declining humanitarian funding as a material operational constraint despite ongoing geographic and programmatic expansion.

Name

Al-Sham Humanitarian Foundation

Legal name

İnsani Şam Derneği (مؤسسة الشام الإنسانية)

Website

https://ahf.ngo

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Al-Sham Humanitarian Foundation is a Turkey-licensed non-profit NGO delivering free multi-sector humanitarian services — healthcare, protection, food security, WASH, and early recovery — to conflict-affected Syrian populations across Idlib, Aleppo, Homs, Damascus, and Daraa, funded by institutional UN, government, and charitable donors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian Aid Services

NAICS

Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Community Food Services (624210)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-General Medical & Surgical Hospitals, Nec (8062), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHLAJAKAE

Humanitarian Health & Emergency Medical Relief NGOs

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Public Health, Government & Regulators/Global Health & Development Agencies (NGOs/Multilaterals)

SECONDARYBPAGAAAH

Refugee, IDP & Migration Humanitarian Assistance

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Humanitarian Aid & Disaster Relief

SECONDARYBPAGAAAE

Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) Emergency Services

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Humanitarian Aid & Disaster Relief

SECONDARYBPADAJAI

Emergency Food Security & Nutrition in Humanitarian Crises

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Food Security & Nutrition Programs

SECONDARYHLAJAKAG

Maternal, Newborn, Child & Adolescent Health (MNCAH) NGOs

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Public Health, Government & Regulators/Global Health & Development Agencies (NGOs/Multilaterals)

SECONDARYBPAGAAAD

Food Assistance & Nutrition Relief (Emergency Feeding)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Humanitarian Aid & Disaster Relief

Keywords

• Humanitarian aid services
• Healthcare delivery
• Water and sanitation
• Food security programs
• Protection services

Headquarters

HQ city

Gaziantep

HQ country

Türkiye

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. International Donor Funding: The foundation operates as a non-profit humanitarian organization funded by international donors, UN agencies, and humanitarian funds. Services are provided free of charge to beneficiaries with no direct revenue model from end users.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Al-Sham Humanitarian Foundation delivers free humanitarian services through a network of 8 hospitals, 7 healthcare centers, and 3 protection centers, alongside programs in food security, WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene), early recovery, and children's nutrition. Services are provided to conflict-affected and displaced populations in Syria and Turkey, funded by international donors and aligned with Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS) quality and accountability requirements.

Product overview

Al-Sham Humanitarian Foundation is a humanitarian non-profit organization operating in Syria and Turkey that delivers a multi-program portfolio of health, protection, food security, and early recovery services. The foundation's core products include a network of specialized hospitals (Sham Specialized Children's Hospital in Sarmada, Sham Specialized Surgical Hospital and Internal Diseases Hospital in Dana, and Izaz National Hospital) providing secondary and tertiary healthcare; multiple primary healthcare centers in Aleppo and Afrin; specialized centers for protection, hearing/speech rehabilitation, and health safety; and operational programs for orphan sponsorship, early recovery, food security/livelihoods, WASH, and children/nutrition. The programs are organized as distinct operational verticals that share infrastructure and beneficiary populations, all targeting vulnerable Syrian communities in northwest Syria and diaspora populations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hospital Network (8 hospitals) Network of 8 hospitals providing medical and surgical care to conflict-affected populations, refugees, and internally displaced persons in Syria and Turkey.
• Healthcare Centers (7 centers) Network of 7 healthcare centers providing primary and outpatient medical services to vulnerable populations in Syria and Turkey.
• Protection Centers (3 centers) Network of 3 protection centers delivering specialized protection services for women, children, and orphans affected by conflict and displacement.
• Food Security Programs Food security programs providing food assistance to food-insecure households affected by conflict and displacement in Syria and Turkey.
• WASH Programs Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) programs delivering clean water access, sanitation infrastructure, and hygiene promotion to affected populations.
• Early Recovery Programs Early recovery programs supporting community rehabilitation, livelihood restoration, and infrastructure rebuilding in post-conflict areas of Syria.
• Children and Nutrition Programs Programs focused on children's welfare and nutrition support for vulnerable children, mothers, and malnourished individuals in crisis-affected areas.

Quantifiable outcome

• Emergency department serves 120-150 children daily
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• OCHA (UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 September 2025OCHA conducts coordination visits to foundation hospitals to assess services, challenges, and beneficiary satisfaction. OCHA delegation visited Sham Specialized Children's Hospital in Sarmada to review operations and discuss future work amid declining funding.
• SV OrganizationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 September 2025SV Organization visited Homs governorate with foundation team to meet with Homs Governor and discuss humanitarian intervention priorities. Joint delegation assessed water and sanitation projects and coordinated with local authorities.
• Homs Water and Sewage CorporationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 August 2025Signed MOU for water network replacement project in Tal Dahab area in Hola region to improve water services and strengthen infrastructure.
• Homs Directorate of Social Affairs and LaborminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 August 2025Signed MOU for cash distribution project targeting vulnerable returning families in Tal Dahan, Taldo, Al-Khalidiya, and Kafr Laha areas, benefiting 570 families.
• WHO (World Health Organization)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 May 2025WHO visits Sham Surgical Hospital to assess medical services and understand funding gaps affecting healthcare facilities in the region. WHO conducts needs assessments for the health sector.
• Italian Embassy and WHOcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 March 2025Italian Ambassador in Damascus visited Sham Surgical Hospital accompanied by WHO team to review Italian aid distribution and assess health services and needs. Collaboration between Italian government support and WHO coordination.
• AFNSminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 February 2025AFNS team visited Sham Specialized Internal Diseases Hospital in Dana to review hospital operations and discuss quality improvement for services amid increasing patient numbers.
• AFSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFS supports entrepreneurial projects exhibition in Dana where the foundation organized an exhibition for small projects launched by people with disabilities after entrepreneurship training and grants.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Qatar Charity: Qatar Charity is both a current financial partner of AHF and an independent operator of humanitarian projects in Syria (including family empowerment projects), representing a partial-overlap model that is both collaborator and competitor for donor funding.

Direct peers

• Hand in Hand for Aid and Development: Hand in Hand for Aid and Development is a Middle East-focused NGO delivering health, water, and protection services in Syria with Turkey-based operations, closely overlapping with AHF's program portfolio and beneficiary geography.
• Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS): SAMS is a US-based medical nonprofit that operates hospitals, primary care centers, and dialysis facilities inside Syria, with the same multi-specialty hospital model (including pediatric services) and Syrian diaspora governance structure as AHF. It is the most direct comparable on hospital operations in northwest Syria.
• Muslim Hands: Muslim Hands is an international Islamic NGO providing healthcare, WASH, food security, and orphan sponsorship in Syria, with a comparable multi-sector model including orphan sponsorship programs that mirror AHF's كفاءة اليتيم offering.
• Syria Relief Network (SRN): SRN is a coalition of Syrian diaspora NGOs coordinating cross-border humanitarian programming into Syria, with overlapping health and protection service delivery in the same northwestern governorates AHF serves.
• Relief International: Relief International runs health, WASH, and protection programs across Syria with cross-border operations from Turkey, operating a comparable mixed health-and-WASH humanitarian footprint in Idlib and Aleppo governorates.

Broad incumbents

• Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF): MSF operates hospitals and specialized medical programs inside Syria, providing a broader-incumbent benchmark for hospital operations, emergency response, and surgical service delivery in conflict zones where AHF works.
• Mercy Corps: Mercy Corps operates large-scale humanitarian programs in Syria spanning WASH, food security, and economic recovery with cross-border presence from Turkey, comparable to AHF's integrated service portfolio.
• International Rescue Committee (IRC): IRC is a large international humanitarian organization delivering health, protection, and economic recovery programs across Syria, with a similar mix of medical facilities and early recovery programming.

Others

• World Health Organization (WHO) Syria Hub: WHO is not a competing NGO but a coordinating UN agency that conducts needs assessments and co-funds health facilities in northwest Syria, directly engaging with AHF's hospitals and serving as the upstream funder/regulator of the same health-system operations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ahfrelief
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ahfrelief

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Al-Sham Humanitarian Foundation