Charitable giving has been noticeably impacted by the pandemic. Many in Syria feel completely forgotten, just as they were beginning to make progress in rebuilding their country. Thanks to the generosity of our benefactors and the faithfulness of our religious partners, Aid To The Church In Need has continued to provide and care for the suffering Body of Christ in Syria.

By Clodagh Gallagher

The difficulties brought on by the pandemic are causing many people in the West to forget about the people of Syria - who are still in desperate need of healing after almost a decade of violent persecution. Aid To The Church In Need works with many religious in Syria, helping to rebuild the Syrian people and defend our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ. One of our leading religious partners in the country, Sr Anne Demerjian, regularly risks her life to provide aid to Syrian Christians. She recently told our projects team that the financial impact of COVID-19 has brought Syria’s recovery to a halt. She explained how just as the Syrian people were beginning to piece their lives back together with the help of ACN’s generous benefactors, the pandemic hit and flatlined their recovery. She says:

 “Syria is like someone who has had a serious operation and he needs to heal, he needs to recover and he suddenly doesn’t have time to recover. “The world has begun to forget about Syria and that’s painful. Everybody knows we are coming out of a very difficult situation - the civil war. People start breathing, the remaining Christians are beginning to stand on their feet. Then the pandemic came and people collapsed. It’s a big burden – no work, no jobs.”

The combination of civil war, continuing violence, the pandemic and international economic sanctions against the Syrian government, have forced the Syrian people into abject poverty. Living among rubble caused by terrorism, the Syrian people are consigned to life without electricity and gas in the harsh sub-zero winters - meaning they are unable to heat their homes or cook food. Poverty is rampant. People call Sr Anne and other religious every day, asking for food. This past Christmas, thanks to the generosity of our benefactors, ACN helped Sr Anne provide winter coats for 26,000 Syrian children. Sr Anne says:

“A father cannot buy his child an anorak because one anorak is equal to his salary, or more. You cannot imagine the joy in the faces and eyes of the children when they were given the anoraks. ACN funded this. We are trying to help the economy, 40 shops and factories made the anoraks which created jobs as well. We had two goals: creating jobs and distributing anoraks to our children in this harsh winter.”

In these unprecedented times, it would be understandable if charitable donations were to fall as people find themselves unsure of their income. However, this has not happened - the generosity of our benefactors is humbling. Thank you for ensuring that the persecuted Body of Christ is not forgotten. Through your abundant generosity, we have been able to help feed 270 families daily and help 84 families pay their rent in Aleppo and Damascus. If you would like to help us to continue sponsoring such worthy projects as these, consider donating to our pontifical charity - no amount is too small. With your continued Christian charity, we pledge to continue our fight to save lives, save souls and save the faith.