Raed al-Saleh () is a Syrian humanitarian leader and government official. On 29 March 2025, he was appointed as the Minister of Disaster Management and Emergency Response in the

Syrian transitional government The Syrian transitional government () is the current provisional government of Syria, formed on 29 March 2025 under President Ahmed al-Sharaa. It succeeded the Syrian caretaker government headed by Mohammed al-Bashir. The government was ...

. Previously, al-Saleh was director of the White Helmets, a volunteer rescue organization operating in opposition-held areas of Syria. For this humanitarian work, he was named one of ''Time'' magazine's 100 Most Influential People in 2017.

Career

Al-Saleh has played a key role in leading the White Helmets, overseeing search and rescue operations, medical assistance, and disaster response efforts in war-torn regions of Syria. Under his leadership, the organization has been internationally recognized for its humanitarian work, receiving multiple awards, including the

Right Livelihood Award The Right Livelihood Award is an international award to "honour and support those offering practical and exemplary answers to the most urgent challenges facing us today." The prize was established in 1980 by German-Swedish philanthropist Jakob vo ...

and a nomination for the

Nobel Peace Prize The Nobel Peace Prize (Swedish language, Swedish and ) is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the Will and testament, will of Sweden, Swedish industrialist, inventor, and armaments manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Nobe ...

. In 2017, he was honoured as one of ''Time'' magazine's 100 Most Influential People. On 29 March 2025, al-Saleh was appointed as the Minister for Disaster and Emergency Management in Syria, he issued a statement following the appointment announcing his resignation from the White Helmets.

References

{{Portal, Biography, Syria Living people 1983 births Emergency services in Syria Mardin Artuklu University people Syrian politicians Government ministers of Syria