The Coalition for Global Prosperity partnered with the Halo Trust to virtually take a group of Members of Parliament to Northwestern Syria. The visit, led by former Scottish Conservatives Leader Ruth Davidson, looked at the work done by UK organisations such as Halo to bring stability and security to some of the world’s most vulnerable populations.

The visit opened with remarks from Ryan Henson, Chief Executive at the Coalition for Global Prosperity who spoke about the importance of UK leadership and expertise in helping the situation in Northwestern Syria. James Cowan, Halo CEO then spoke to introduce Halo to the Members of Parliament and explain their role in the region. Ruth Davidson then highlighted the work she had seen personally on the ground and how removing unexploded devices, people can begin the process of rebuilding their lives and communities.

Throughout the virtual visit, we were also able to speak with Sa’eed Hawari, a member of the Halo team, who operates in Syria. We heard first hand about the difficulties faced by teams on the ground who must operate in incredibly difficult political environments as well as ensuring that the local communities are being educated on the dangers of these unexploded devices and are taught how to deal with them safely.

The group also heard from the Halo team in Syria about how this is not only an issue around dealing with unexploded devices but this is a humanitarian issue with people unable to access resources, education or security due to the threats posed by unexploded ordinance and the unstable political conditions.

The visit concluded with some incredibly moving memories shared by Sa’eed about the impact that this work really has on people’s lives on the ground and how it’s continued operation is so important.