CAIRO — Syria is witnessing a fierce civil war and massacres that have claimed the lives of so many of its people, such as the Aleppo massacre. The Syrian crisis is not unrelated to civil society in Egypt, as a group of psychotherapists launched on Dec. 14 an initiative to provide free psychotherapy and support sessions online for Syrians affected in war zones. The second phase of the initiative, which entails a new set of sessions, was launched Jan. 10.

Despite the geographic borders, the siege imposed by the Syrian regime and the difficulty of communicating over the internet, more and more Syrians across their country are joining the initiative — surprising even the organizers. Therefore, this initiative sheds light on a new dimension of humanitarian aid for those affected by wars and revolutions.

Ahmed Haroun, a consultant psychiatrist and member of the American Psychology Association, launched the initiative with a number of volunteer psychotherapists to provide psychiatric support to those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

After the Aleppo massacre, Haroun believed it was important to move for solidarity and support of Syrians. “A large number of psychotherapy support teams volunteered in the initiative where Syrians who would like to enjoy the free sessions can register on the initiative’s website, and a volunteer psychotherapist would provide support,” Haroun told Al-Monitor.