Eleven years of war in Syria
As the world’s attention is fixed on Ukraine, Syria has entered its twelfth year of war. After travelling to Syria to attend a Church meeting, Aid to the Church in Need’s head of projects, Regina Lynch, was interviewed by Filipe D’Avillez about the current situation for Syria’s Christians.
By ACN Staff
Destruction in Aleppo. (Credit: Aid to the Church in Need)
World attention has understandably been fixed on the war in Ukraine. However, conflicts in other parts of the world rage on. In Syria, the devastating civil war has entered its twelfth year. The head of ACN’s project department, Regina Lynch, has returned from a meeting in Syria between Church leaders and various aid agencies. Regina was interviewed about the situation in Syria by Filip D’Avillez.
Regina explained that despair is common amongst Syrian Christians after eleven years of constant war. This is why it is so important for ACN to support projects like the Christian Hope Centre, operating in Damascus and Homs. The centre supports microprojects that help Christians to develop livelihoods. ACN also supports Church-run summer camps for children to help lift their spirits and ground them further in the Faith. Regina explained that as Christians our ultimate source of hope is our faith:
Meeting "Church House of Charity, Solidarity and Coordination" in Damascus. (Credit: Aid to the Church in Need)
“As Christians, we must have hope, and our faith gives us this hope. It is faith that drives the aid so urgently needed in an ever-worsening humanitarian situation. During these colder months it is particularly bad. In many parts of the country temperatures fall to freezing at night and yet at least 90% of the population lives below the poverty line, meaning they have no money to buy heating oil or to pay for electricity to supplement the few hours that come from the grid. I think what gives hope to Church leaders – and Christians in general – is that a delegation from Rome and many non-Syrian charities attended this conference despite all the difficulties, including roads blocked by snow and Covid.”
Regina explained that the conflict has deepened the faith of many Syrian Christians. Young people have become more involved with Church activities. At the same time, some young people have asked difficult questions about the suffering that the Syrian people have gone through. The Church is there to help these young people grapple with these issues.
Regine spoke about the devastating impact that the international sanctions against Syria are having on regular Syrian people:
“For sure, in Syria the ordinary people are the victims of the sanctions. Inflation is rampant and they can no longer afford medicine, surgery, meat, milk for their children, or even the bus fare for going to school or university. Even those with relatives abroad cannot receive any money because of the banking embargos. The reality is that most sanctions in Syria are hurting the people more than anything else. The local Church has spoken out strongly against them, and we support these calls.”
ACN is committed to continuing to work with our Catholic and Orthodox Church partners in Syria to help support local Christian communities. Please join us in prayer that Christians in Syria may continue to stay true to the Faith.