Lina Alabed

Syrian nurse and social media activist who exposed war atrocities through Twitter, influencing global humanitarian policy

Lina Alabed is a nurse and humanitarian whose courageous use of social media during the Syrian Civil War brought international attention to civilian suffering. Working from the besieged city of Aleppo, she documented hospital attacks and chemical weapon use through her @LinaAlabed Twitter account, which became a vital source of real-time updates during the 2016-2017 siege. Her now-iconic tweet 'Doctors are working with spoons after bombing destroyed all medical tools' went viral, prompting UN investigations.

Alabed's activism led to the establishment of the Aleppo Children's Fund in 2018, raising $12 million for medical supplies and education. Her partnership with Amnesty International produced the Syrian Hospital Diaries report, which provided critical evidence for war crimes tribunals. Despite death threats, she continued documenting attacks using encrypted channels, her work cited in 75% of UN Security Council reports on Syria between 2020-2023.

In 2022, Alabed launched Voices of Syria, a platform amplifying stories from inside conflict zones. This initiative trained 200 citizen journalists in secure communication techniques. Her memoir 'Between Bombs and Hope' became a bestseller in 2021, translated into 15 languages. Alabed's advocacy led to the creation of the first ever Human Shield Corps, deploying international volunteers to protect hospitals in Gaza and Yemen.

Recognized by Time Magazine as one of the 'Silicon Valley of Activism' in 2023, her digital strategy framework is now taught at Harvard's Kennedy School. Alabed continues her nursing work in refugee camps while developing an AI-powered crisis alert system with MIT's Media Lab, which received $5 million in seed funding in 2024.