Our Identity

St. Ephrem Patriarchal Development Committee (EPDC)

A humanitarian and developmental organization, religious, non-profit, non-governmental, and non-political, operating under the auspices of the Antiochian Patriarchate and all the East for the Syriac Orthodox, directly linked to His Holiness Patriarch Ignatius Ephrem II.

EPDC headquarters is in Damascus, with regional offices in Aleppo, Latakia, Homs, Daraa, and Hasakah, with projects spanning across the countryside of Damascus, Hama, Quneitra, Deir al-Zor, as well as rural Idlib.

EPDC began providing humanitarian services to our Iraqi refugee brothers in 2003 by offering immediate relief aid. With the onset of events in Syria, the organization resumed its activities to meet the needs of the Syrian community, working over the years to expand its service base and broaden its areas of operation.

In 2014, the organization obtained a license as a non-profit organization on the list for cooperation with international non-governmental organizations, aiming to meet the humanitarian needs of the Syrian people without any religious, racial, regional, or sectarian discrimination.

Our Goals

Vision:

Towards a peaceful society that grows and develops on the foundations of morals and human principles.

Mission:

Securing the essential needs of the Syrian people to enable them to remain in their land and lead better lives.

Values and Ethics

Human Dignity: Helping a person with dignity is a right and a duty for every member EPDC.
Joy in service: We serve our brothers and sisters in humanity freely with love. Joy in service makes our service enjoyable.
Respecting the human being: Respecting each human being is a permanent and actual exercise of our faith and the duty of every member of EPDC.
Transparency: Ethics before being a law.
Neutrality and non-discrimination: serving people regardless of their color, race, religion, sect, and political affiliation.
Child protection and women’s empowerment are a priority of our commitments to society.

Intervention areas

2023

In response to the earthquake disaster on February 6th in northwestern Syria, the organization focused its efforts, with the approval of partners and donors, on delivering urgent relief aid to the three directly affected provinces (Latakia – Aleppo – Hama) during the initial period of the earthquake.

Following that, a series of sustainable projects were launched in Aleppo and Latakia at the end of 2023.

Meanwhile, EPDC established a new office in Lattakia region, continued its work within the development projects in the remaining regions, and opened centers in Aleppo and its rural, Idlib rural (Khan Shaykhun), and Damascus rural.

Our Projects

EPDC works on providing its relief and development services through a range of programs and projects. After studying the needs of the areas and communities, it collaborates with relevant authorities and coordinates with them to deliver the service in the best way possible.