Munir al-Mustafa, director of Civil Defense at Syria’s Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management, said the ministry is working on a comprehensive plan to meet the needs of Civil Defense centers across Syria, explaining that implementation will take four to five years.
In an interview with Syrian television channel al-Ikhbariya, details of which were published by the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) on Sunday evening, October 25, al-Mustafa said expanding operations to cover all Syrian territory requires strengthening human resources and logistical capabilities.
The ministry has begun purchasing new vehicles and equipment, with several batches expected to arrive in Syria and be distributed among Civil Defense centers, according to al-Mustafa. However, the quantities available remain limited compared with the scale of responsibilities and needs. He noted that government and international support, including equipment received from the German government, will take time to meet operational requirements across different regions.
Al-Mustafa pointed out that a large proportion of the vehicles and equipment the ministry inherited from the former regime are “dilapidated, destroyed or out of service,” and restoring them requires substantial costs and repeated maintenance.
The number of Civil Defense personnel reached about 4,500 before declining to around 3,000 due to developments on the ground, even before the organization’s responsibilities expanded after the former regime fell, according to al-Mustafa.
He explained that the ministry had established a volunteer department to form support teams that would help address staffing shortages and strengthen the response to major disasters. He highlighted the strong interest in volunteering and the participation of volunteer teams in responding to the Latakia wildfires, in coordination with Civil Defense teams.
Al-Mustafa confirmed that training for personnel and volunteers continues, covering safety and security procedures and how to deal with the risks of building collapses, fires, and explosions. The ministry is also developing plans to establish training centers and a specialized academy in Syria to prepare personnel capable of “leading operations in the future.”
More Than 115,000 People Rescued Since 2012
Al-Mustafa’s remarks came on the occasion of the 12th anniversary of the signing of the Syrian Civil Defense’s founding charter. He explained that Civil Defense operations began with scattered volunteer groups in late 2012, while the signing of the founding charter in 2014 marked an important milestone in unifying policies and procedures and organizing field operations.
He noted that Civil Defense teams had rescued more than 115,000 people since the organization began operating and up until the fall of the former regime. He described the February 2023 earthquake as one of the most significant events in the organization’s history, during which rescue teams pulled 294 people alive from beneath the rubble and recovered the bodies of approximately 2,500 people.
Al-Mustafa added that more than 220 Civil Defense personnel had been killed while performing their duties amid the dangers faced by rescue and firefighting teams. He also said the organization had received more than 40 international awards in recognition of its humanitarian efforts, helping boost staff morale.
The Syrian Civil Defense, also known as the White Helmets, is a humanitarian organization that began operating in late 2012 through grassroots volunteer teams across Syria. Its initial mission was to respond to military operations carried out by the Syrian regime against populated Syrian towns and villages.
On October 25, 2014, 72 leaders of volunteer teams gathered in the Turkish city of Adana, where they officially announced the establishment of the Syrian Civil Defense. They adopted a Quranic verse as the organization’s motto: “Whoever saves one life, it is as if they have saved all humanity.”