Tartus Launches Awareness Campaign to Address Begging
The Directorate of Social Affairs and Labor in Tartus has launched an extensive awareness campaign titled “Help Correctly… Do Not Promote Begging.” This initiative operates under the broader strategy “Don’t Give Them… Give Through Us,” reflecting a serious effort to address the roots of the begging phenomenon in the governorate while fostering a culture of responsible and organized giving.
Running for one week across social media platforms, the campaign utilizes intensive media and educational materials to reach the widest possible segment of the population. The primary focus is to guide the Syrian community toward adopting more effective support mechanisms. The Directorate is urging individuals to channel their donations through specialized and licensed charitable organizations rather than providing money directly to beggars on the streets—a practice the authorities believe exacerbates the issue rather than resolving it.
Lama Asaad, head of the media office at the Tartus Directorate of Social Affairs and Labor, explained that the core objective of the campaign is to establish the concept of “responsible assistance.” Asaad emphasized that directing support through organized channels ensures that aid reaches those who truly need it, including the most vulnerable families and individuals, while maintaining their dignity. She further highlighted the importance of partnerships with local associations and institutions, noting their capacity to engage directly with humanitarian cases and provide well-studied support.
Regarding the evaluation of the campaign’s success, Asaad stated that the Directorate will assess its impact by monitoring digital engagement with the published materials and measuring the local community’s response to the concept of organized assistance. This campaign is part of a series of ongoing efforts by local authorities in Tartus to discourage social behaviors that perpetuate the begging phenomenon.
These efforts follow a campaign launched on May 17, also titled “Don’t Give Them… Give Through Us,” which was conducted under the supervision of the governorate in cooperation with internal security forces. That initiative included field operations on city streets and the distribution of awareness materials aimed at addressing the social and economic dimensions of begging.
The current campaign involves a group of active associations in the governorate, including “One Heart for Humanitarian Aid and Development,” “Together for Humanitarian Development,” “Humanitarians Without Borders,” “Friends of the Environment,” “Al-Qalaa Charitable Association,” and “Al-Batoul for Humanitarian Services.” Additionally, the “Kon for Development, Social Services, and Housing” organization and the “MedLife Medical Charitable Volunteer” foundation are participating in the outreach efforts.
