Dr. Hariri, a Syrian surgeon, was a key organizer of medical and surgical relief efforts in Aleppo, Syria, from 2012 to 2016. He graduated from Aleppo University Faculty of Medicine in 1990, completing his general surgery training there in 1995, followed by further training with the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland. 

At the war’s outset, Dr. Hariri was at the heart of what the UN described as the “greatest humanitarian disaster of our times.” Despite a significant exodus of medical staff, he stayed to help coordinate a vast relief operation, facing explicit targeting of medical facilities and personnel. Between 2012 and 2016, he and his team performed surgery on thousands of adult and pediatric patients. 

He undertook a research fellowship with the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative “Scholars at Risk” Program. Subsequently, he worked in Turkey to establish the Syrian Board of Medical Specialties, enabling medical students and residents to complete their education. 

Dr. Hariri currently serves as a faculty member for the HEST surgical training course with the David Nott Foundation, in addition to his work as a general surgeon at a UK-based hospital.