What Syrian Arab Red Crescent does

The Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) is the largest community-based humanitarian organization in Syria, founded in 1942 and recognized by the International Committee of the Red Cross in 1946. It operates as the Syrian national society of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, governed by the Geneva Conventions and the principles of neutrality, impartiality, and independence. SARC deploys its program through 14 governorate branches and 68 active sub-branches covering all 14 Syrian governorates, including areas controlled by different parties, supported by approximately 12,500 trained volunteers and a paid workforce of around 1,788 staff. The organization reaches more than 5 million beneficiaries monthly through disaster response, medical care, livelihood support, water and sanitation, community services, risk education, and first aid programming; cumulative mobile medical team reach since 2015 alone exceeds 826,438 beneficiaries.

SARC's service portfolio is delivered via a network of clinics, mobile medical teams, malnutrition treatment centers, food and shelter distribution points, and livelihood program sites. Operational infrastructure includes an in-house E-Learning platform used for volunteer capacity building, a Power BI reporting system for performance management, and designation as the official Sphere Standards focal point in Syria, including Arabic translation of the Sphere Handbook. As a non-profit humanitarian organization, SARC generates no commercial revenue. It is funded entirely through institutional grants and pass-through support from the ICRC, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), UN agencies (UNHCR, WFP, UNICEF, WHO), and bilateral Red Cross societies (Finnish, German, British, Swedish, Turkish). Principal beneficiary segments are internally displaced persons, host community residents, returnees, children requiring malnutrition treatment, women-headed households, and persons with disabilities. SARC received the Peace Prize of the International Movement of the Red Cross and Red Crescent in 2013.

Name

Syrian Arab Red Crescent

Legal name

Syrian Arab Red Crescent

Website

https://sarc.sy

Company type

Private

Founded year

1942

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The Syrian Arab Red Crescent operates 14 governorate branches and 68 sub-branches across all Syrian governorates, using 12,500 trained volunteers to deliver disaster response, medical care, livelihood support, and emergency relief to over 5 million vulnerable people monthly.

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), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Disaster Response & Search and Rescue (SAR) (BPADADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Refugee, IDP & Migration Humanitarian Assistance (BPAGAAAH), Humanitarian Health & Emergency Medical Relief NGOs (HLAJAKAE), Emergency Response & Search-and-Rescue (SAR) (BPAGAAAA)

Keywords

• Humanitarian aid services
• Disaster management
• Medical care services
• Livelihood programs
• Volunteer emergency response

Headquarters

HQ city

Damascus

HQ country

Syria

HQ region

Middle East

Offices15 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Humanitarian Funding: SARC is funded through partnerships with international humanitarian organizations including ICRC, IFRC, UN agencies (UNHCR, WFP, UNICEF), and international NGOs. The organization does not generate commercial revenue.
2. Donor Support: Financial and material support from Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement partners, UN agencies, and international donors for humanitarian operations

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SARC delivers free humanitarian services to vulnerable populations across Syria through eight core service lines: Disaster Management (emergency response, relief distributions), Medical Care Services (clinics, mobile teams, malnutrition treatment, first aid), Humanitarian Support (food, shelter, hygiene kits), Livelihood Programs (livestock grants, cottage industries, vocational training), Water and Rehabilitation (water supply, sanitation, infrastructure), Community Services (disability support, women and youth programs), Risk Education (mine risk, health, COVID-19 prevention), and First Aid Training. Services are delivered through 14 governorate branches, 68 sub-branches, and approximately 12,500 trained volunteers.

Product overview

Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) is a humanitarian organization offering a portfolio of interconnected services focused on disaster response, healthcare, and community support. The core offerings include Disaster Management, Medical Care Services, Humanitarian Support (food, shelter, relief), Livelihood Programs (economic empowerment), Water and Rehabilitation, Community Services, Risk Education, and First Aid. Supporting infrastructure includes the SARC E-Learning Platform for volunteer training, a Power BI reporting system for statistical analysis, and volunteer training programs on International Humanitarian Law and Sphere standards. The organization operates through 14 branches with over 12,500 trained volunteers across Syria.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Disaster Management Comprehensive disaster preparedness and response services including emergency assessment, relief distributions, rehabilitation, and coordination for affected populations across Syria.
• Medical Care Services Healthcare services including clinics, mobile medical teams, malnutrition treatment, first aid, and maternal health programs delivered through branch clinics and field teams.
• Humanitarian Support Emergency assistance including food aid, shelter materials, hygiene kits, and relief item distributions to vulnerable populations.
• Livelihood Programs Economic support programs including livestock grants, cottage industries, home garden grants, and vocational training for self-sufficiency of vulnerable households.
• Water and Rehabilitation Water supply, sanitation, and infrastructure rehabilitation services including water station maintenance and water trucking across affected areas.
• Community Services Social services including support for people with disabilities, women empowerment programs, and youth life skills training.
• Risk Education Awareness programs covering mine risk education, health education, COVID-19 prevention, and disaster preparedness training for communities.
• First Aid Training and Services First aid training courses, emergency response teams, and mobile first aid units operating across all Syrian governorates.
• SARC E-Learning Platform Online learning platform for volunteer training and professional development in humanitarian work.
• Volunteer Training Programs Capacity building through International Humanitarian Law training, Sphere standards training, and disaster management courses for volunteers and staff.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reached more than 6 million people during 2020
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Turkish Red CrescentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 November 2025Signed three cooperation agreements for supporting affected populations. Joint humanitarian operations between Syrian and Turkish Red Crescent societies.
• World Food Programme (WFP)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 October 2014UN agency providing logistics support including trucks and protective equipment. Donated 15 trucks, 2 four-wheel drive vehicles, and 23 protective jackets totaling over US$4 million in support.
• International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing operational partner supporting SARC through funding, training, and technical assistance. ICRC provides support for humanitarian operations, volunteer training, and IHL dissemination programs.
• International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMovement partner providing strategic support, coordination, and funding for humanitarian operations in Syria.
• UNHCRcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides funding and support for shelter materials and assistance to returning families and displaced persons.
• UNICEFmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperates on humanitarian convoys and assistance programs, particularly for children and educational supplies.
• Movement of the Red Cross and Red Crescent SocietiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational Movement partners providing humanitarian aid to over 3 million people in Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Iraq and Turkey.
• Finnish Red CrossmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports IHL training programs for volunteers, particularly in Swaida branch.
• German Red CrossmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports disaster management training, data collection workshops, and capacity building programs for volunteers.
• British Red CrossmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported Sphere training programs and translation of Sphere handbook into Arabic.
• Swedish Red CrossmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDelegation visits to Syria for partnership review and humanitarian coordination.
• AVSImajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian NGO partnership for cash assistance project supporting families affected by the pandemic in Damascus and Rural Damascus.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Jordan Red Crescent Society: Direct peer national society that hosts large numbers of displaced Syrians and operates comparable humanitarian programming. Shared Movement affiliation and overlapping beneficiary populations.
• Iraqi Red Crescent Society: Direct peer national Red Crescent society operating in a neighboring post-conflict environment with similar humanitarian service portfolio. Highly comparable in mandate, structure, and reliance on Movement funding.
• Lebanese Red Cross: Direct peer Red Cross society that the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement reports has aided over 3 million people displaced from Syria. Operates a near-identical model of volunteer-driven emergency medical services and humanitarian relief.
• Palestine Red Crescent Society: Direct peer national society that has operated SARC-adjacent teams inside Syria (8 killed per company data). Shares Movement mandate and conflict-zone operating context, making it a closely comparable peer.
• Turkish Red Crescent (Kızılay): Direct peer national Red Crescent society that signed three cooperation agreements with SARC in November 2025 for joint humanitarian operations across the Syria-Türkiye corridor. Comparable in scale, structure, and Movement mandate.

Regional players

• Syria Relief and Development (SRD): Syria-focused humanitarian NGO delivering health, food, and shelter assistance. Operates inside the same conflict environment with overlapping beneficiary segments, but lacks SARC's national Movement status and cross-line access.

Broad incumbents

• International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC): SARC's core Movement partner and global lead on conflict-related humanitarian response. ICRC funds, trains, and operationally supports SARC, making it the most institutionally aligned peer despite operating at a global scale.
• Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF): Operates medical and humanitarian programs inside Syria with overlapping beneficiaries and cross-line access objectives. Functions as a comparable international medical-humanitarian operator, though not a Movement member.
• International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC): SARC's Movement umbrella organization coordinating national societies and providing strategic funding for disaster and humanitarian operations. Directly comparable mission and operating model, but globally federated rather than country-focused.

Emerging players

• AVSI Foundation: Italian INGO that partnered with SARC on a cash-assistance project serving families affected by the pandemic in Damascus. Comparable humanitarian service delivery model in Syria, but operating via partnership rather than as a national mandate-holder.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/syredcrescent

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 Syrian Arab Red Crescent