Art for Syria
Aerial view of Maarat al-Numan Hospital’s current state
This charity auction supports a critical rebuilding effort in a country still reeling from more than a decade of war. Although the collapse of the Assad government in late 2024 marked a turning point, Syria’s humanitarian emergency is far from over. Today, 16.5 million Syrians still require urgent humanitarian assistance, more than half the population remains displaced and 40% of hospitals and health facilities continue to operate at reduced capacity or remain completely non-functional.
For the millions of Syrians who have endured years of conflict, regime change alone cannot heal wounds that run deep into the country's infrastructure and social fabric. Healthcare systems that were already stretched before the political transition now face the additional challenge of serving populations in newly accessible areas while managing ongoing displacement and resource scarcity.
Your bid and donation for our Art for Syria auction directly supports the restoration of essential healthcare in Syria, starting with a solar system for the Maarat al-Numan National Hospital that once served thousands of people - and could do so again.
Why it matters
16.5M
people are in need of humanitarian assistance, representing the highest number since the onset of the conflict. (Source)
40%
of hospitals and health facilities are partly or completely non-functional, with 77 recorded attacks on healthcare facilities since 2024. (Source)
2-4 hrs/day
is all the electricity Syrians are currently able to access after the conflict have crippled the national grid, leaving hospitals in chronic energy insecurity. (Source)
Maarat al-Numan National Hospital
Ma'arrat al-Numan National Hospital sits along the Damascus highway in southern Idlib, its empty corridors telling the story of Syria's healthcare collapse.
Before the war, the hospital was a medical lifeline for thousands: families from rural Hama, residents of northern Idlib and other internally displaced people living in nearby camps. Every month, doctors and nurses here provided 25,000 medical services.
The bombing campaign that began in 2017 changed everything. Six vacuum missiles ripped through the upper floors and operating theaters. More airstrikes followed over the next two years until, in 2019, the hospital finally shut down. Whatever medical equipment survived the bombardment was eventually stripped away as different forces took control of the area.
The hospital's closure only strained the community further, by pushing it onto already overwhelmed local clinics. As displaced families return home to Ma'arrat al-Numan and the population is predicted to grow toward 100,000 by the end of 2025, the need for healthcare will only deepen.
The facility’s central location, right on the Damascus–Aleppo highway, makes it a strategically key center for rapid response in future emergencies. Restoring the hospital therefore means more than repairing a building. It means reopening a door for hundreds of thousands of people to return to their homes with a sense of safety and stability.
And we hope that you will join us in being a small part in making this happen.
Take a closer look at the hospital and the rebuilding effort — including the damaged electrical systems and ongoing infrastructure work.
About the hospital
• Occupies ~70 dunums of land (~ 70,000 m²), with a built- up area of ~20 dunums (~ 20,000 m²)
• Estimated catchment area was around 216,000 people
• Local sources indicates that the hospital served between 200,000 and 300,000 people and provided around 25,000 medical services monthly.
• It had a total capacity of 200 beds before it’s destruction and housed a comprehensive range of departments which will all be rebuilt, including an emergency unit and general surgery departments such as urology, orthopedics, ENT, ophthalmology, outpatient surgery and many more.
Our Solution
In collaboration with our long-term local partner HiHFAD, we are supporting the rehabilitation of Ma’arrat al-Numan National Hospital by investing in long-term, cost-effective infrastructure - starting with solar power.
Reliable electricity is the backbone of any hospital. While the facility will be connected to the national grid, Syria’s grid has been severely weakened by over the decade of conflict. Like many countries across the Middle East and Africa, prolonged blackouts lasting days or even weeks are common. Power plants depend on oil and gas - sources vulnerable to sanctions, volatile pricing and chronic fuel shortages.
Solar energy offers a sustainable way out of this cycle. With an abundance of sunlight, solar provides a stable, predictable and nearly free energy source once installed. Instead of draining scarce funds on costly fuel just to keep the lights on, the hospital will be able to focus resources to what truly matters - treating patients and saving lives.
Our approach leverages high-grade German solar technology and strategic partnerships to ensure affordability, durability and efficiency — with warranties of more than 10 years. This system will secure reliable electricity for critical hospital operations, lower long-term costs and free up funds for other vital services.
In short, solar power provides not only resilience against grid failures and volatile fuel markets but also a pathway to sustainable, affordable healthcare delivery in one of Syria’s most critical medical facilities.
More photos of Ma’arrat al-Numan National Hospital, taken by our local partner HiHFAD between March and June this year, can be seen at the bottom of this page.
How it works
Thanks to the hospital's grid connection, we can design a cost-effective solar system without batteries - maximizing every euro even further.
Your contribution directly supports this effort by funding solar panel packages that power essential hospital functions such as emergency care, laboratories, surgeries, and maternal health.
Here’s how your bid helps:
€150 = 1 Solar Panel Package
Each package includes one solar panel and all necessary accessories (cabling, mounting structure, rods, distribution boxes, etc.). Over 10 years, one panel can:
Enable additional 40 patient treatments to patients who otherwise might not receive timly
Save €1,500 in energy costs, allowing more resources for staff and medicine
Keep essential services running — from operating rooms to maternity wards
And this scales with your generosity.
For example, a bid of €1,500 doesn’t just have the possibility of bringing home a unique piece of art — it can also power up to lifechanging 400 treatments.
That’s art creating life-changing care.
How do we calculate this?
Due to the extensive and current reconstruction of the Maarrat al Numan National Hospital , we’ve based our impact projections on verified data from one of our other projects in Syria, the Avicenna Women and Children's Hospital.
That system included:
280 solar panels
With an approx. €11,000 in panel costs and €30,000 in accessories
Total energy savings of over €430,000 across 10 years
Estimated treatment cost of €37.81 per patient
From this, we estimate that each solar panel package (panel + accessories = ~€150) enables 40 patient treatments by reducing the hospital’s long-term energy expenses.
Our Partners
Aid Pioneers believe that lasting impact comes from working hand in hand with local communities and non-profits. Their deep knowledge ensures our solar solutions are tailored, sustainable and truly meet local needs.
For this project, we are proud to partner with Hand in Hand for Aid and Development (HIHFAD), that provides essential on-the-ground support to civilians. The organization envisions a world where barriers are dismantled, and communities are empowered and self-reliant.
For this project, we are happy to partner with Enpal, one of Germany’s leading solar suppliers, to deliver high-quality, cost-effective solar solutions.
By leveraging our corporate network and in-house solar expertise, we are able to build world-class systems at 70% less than local vendor quotes - backed by 10+ year warranties for lasting reliability.
Make a difference
Your support powers both art and healing.
Explore the art catalog and place your bid online, knowing that every winning bid helps restore lifesaving care in Syria.
