Dr. Rola Hallam

British-Syrian humanitarian, frontline trauma expert

Region(s): Africa, Middle East
Country of focus: Syria
Based in Spain

Details

Current Occupation: British-Syrian humanitarian, frontline trauma expert
Organization/Institution: CanDo

Media

Medical Worker Burnout, Trauma, and Compassion Fatigue Inside Mental Health Podcast May 11, 2023

Facing Your Own Darkness w Dr. Rola Hallam – humanitarian & coach The Most Important Medicine Podcast Apr 12, 2023

Reframing compassion fatigue: Compassion as a tool for combating burnout American Medical Association Steps Forward Podcast Mar 1, 2023

My family left Syria when I was 12 – I’ve gone back to build hospitals First Person Metro.co.UK Jan 31, 2023

Syria and enabling local humanitarian efforts in war zones  The Lancet Voice Podcast May 30, 2022

Self-care in times of war Gang of Witches-Ibiza Podcast Mar 31, 2022

What is white phosphorus, and what does it mean that Russia may be using it in Ukraine? CBS Mar 25, 2022

Incendiary Weapons: Views from the Frontlines and the Financial Sector Humanitarian Disarmament Dec 14, 2021

Dr. Rola Hallam Beacons of Light in the Darkness of War Google Talk Sep 14, 2021

Seven Minutes that Can Save a Syrian School from a Bomb New Lines Mar 19, 2021

“They Burn Through Everything” The Human Cost of Incendiary Weapons and the Limits of International Law Human Rights Watch 2020

There will be peace in the Middle East When Feminists Rule the World Podcast Dec 2019

The Doctors, Nurses and Aid Workers Rebuilding Syria  Ted Talk April 2018

Dr. Rola Hallam on the difference between a civil war and a war on civilians Women in the World, Feb 2018

The effects of Bashar al-Assad’s attacks on medical facilities in Syria The Daily Show July 2017

Saving Syria’s Children BBC One Panorama documentary

We Are All Humanitarians and other talks Google Zeitgeist Minds

BBC British Doctors travel to Syria with ‘People’s Convoy’

Youtube Hope Hospital: CanDo Crowdfunding a Humanitarian Movement 

Rola Hallam (@DrRolaHallam)  is a British-Syrian award-winning consultant anaesthetist, humanitarian, human rights advocate and social entrepreneur. She is an expert in front-line trauma,  burnout and recovery.

Rola played an integral part in building seven hospitals in Syria, including the first-ever crowd-funded hospital. She is the founder and CEO of CanDo  (@CanDoAction), a non-profit social enterprise pioneering a fresh, locally-led approach to humanitarian action, enabling local medics and aid workers to provide life-saving health services to their war devastated communities. She organized a campaign to equip hundreds of schools in Syria with early warning systems to protect 890 schools most at risk of attack in northwest Syria.

Rola is a global thought leader and advocate, and works to press decision-makers to stop the targeting of civilians in war zones. She is a strong advocate for the protection of medical neutrality and the localization of aid. She is the first Syrian TED Fellow.

In 2022 she announced her certification as a life coach and meditation teacher. Along with her medical knowledge and experience, she set out to assist front-line health and aid workers, emergency responders, and change-makers recover from burnout and trauma.

She has lobbied governments, the European Union, and the United Nations to increase humanitarian assistance for Syrian civilians—especially women and children.