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 In 2011, when the civil war broke out in Syria, groups of ordinary citizens came together to provide an emergency response. In the face of chaos and danger those volunteers, both men and women, formed the Syrian Civil Defence, known to the world as The White Helmets. Since then, the group has grown to a nearly 3,000-strong network that has saved more than 128,000 lives, losing over 300 of their own in the process. It would be hard to overstate their bravery and dedication.

In December 2024, a day after the fall of Assad, Jonah X Projects teamed up with the White Helmets to form heritage protection teams to safeguard some of the greatest archaeology on earth. 

The project includes removing landmines and other explosive dangers from heritage sites, surveying the damage, documenting at-risk structures, and engaging local communities as guardians of their shared past. 

In May 2025 we took journalist Anthony Lloyd and legendary photographer Sir Don McCullin to Palmyra to see the White Helmets clear landmines and other unexploded remnants of war.