Syria, Ukraine and Gaza among countries to receive heritage funds from Aliph

ALIPH, the Geneva-based cultural heritage protection agency, has announced over $16 million in its latest funding round, with support directed to Syria, Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, and a new focus on climate change impacts on heritage, primarily in Africa. Nearly a third of the funding ($5 million) goes to Syria, where the newly appointed Director General of Antiquities and Museums, Dr. Anas Haj Zeidan, aims to restore sites damaged during the war under former president Bashar al-Assad. ALIPH executive director Valéry Freland reported extensive damage from 14 years of war, the 2023 earthquake, and economic crises, but noted strong local determination to rehabilitate heritage, including Palmyra. The agency also committed $9 million to address climate threats, supporting 28 projects—22 in Africa—focused on earthen architecture, sacred forests, and local knowledge preservation.