Now is time to help all the Syrians

It's been just over a year since a devastating earthquake hit Syria and Turkey, and the situation for Syrian families and children remains unimaginably tough. Many Syrians who suffered through the earthquake are still trying to pick up the pieces in a country already torn apart by war.

Aid has been dwindling while needs have skyrocketed – leaving millions of Syrians in dire need of support. The earthquake claimed more than 50,000 lives and uprooted countless families, stealing their homes and livelihoods. In its wake, the number of Syrians requiring humanitarian assistance has surged from 15.3 million to 16.7 million. It's heartbreaking when we think of all the people who could have been saved if rescue teams had arrived on time or if the world hadn't turned its back on them.   

Syria has also been grappling with renewed conflict, a severe economic crisis, and climate change-related disasters that have only made things worse for the survivors. The ongoing economic crisis fueled by sanctions has many Syrians barely surviving, as necessities become luxuries due to skyrocketing inflation. The disastrous earthquake is just one of the many struggles Syrians have faced this past year, and the lack of mental health support has left almost 70 percent of children dealing with fear, sadness and depression.

Despite all these challenges, our charity has been working hard to provide medicine and food to families in need. For Ramadan, we have just distributed 100 food baskets; however, there are many more families who still need our help. To alleviate their struggles, even just a bit, our organization would like to donate two bottles of cooking oil to a lot more families.

We are also distributing medicines as it is one of the necessities that have recently gone up in price the most; just in 2023, the Syrian pound has lost nearly 60 percent of its value to the dollar. This winter we  focus on antibiotics and life saving medicines.

The world is of course a more fragile place today than it was a year ago, and Syria is among a growing number of countries grappling with multiple crises.

However, we cannot forget the ongoing struggles of the Syrian children. They deserve to grow up feeling safe, dignified, and hopeful for their future. Let's continue to stand by their side and offer our help in any way we can.

I have the priviledge to be here in Aleppo for one month, volunteering with our partner,  the Blu Marists, who have been active since the beginning of the war and have always helped and supported anyone in need. I am also visiting other projects and people who are trying to do their best in such a difficult contest.

While all our eyes are focusing on the ongoing terrible violence and suffering in Gaza and Israel, I ask you not to forget the children in Aleppo who find no peace. 

Syria is the cradle of our shared culture. Before the war and the punishing international sanctions, Syrians have been trading for millennia along the Silk Road and beyond. Many Syrians studied, worked, and travelled abroad and in Aleppo’s multicultural society, Christianity and Islam truly coexisted for thousands of years. Today, over 89% of inhabitants, especially children, have never stopped paying for the consequences of war, violence, and the recent earthquake. Don’t forget them!

Every day I am seeing children, many as young as 8 years old, who are working to help their family. They are illiterate, traumatized and their future looks bleak. Many families have lost their homes because of the earthquake, and most have been already displaced many times before. Few suitable homes are available and are mostly unaffordable. If you could see them you would not want to enter as they look very unsafe.

Food is too expensive for most people, even those who have jobs, because the Syrian Pound is connected to the US$ and the exchange rate is constantly rising. In February 2023 it was $1 to SYP 8,000 and it is today over SYP14,000. Bread, Gas, Petrol is rationed. Electricity is two hours per day, making most professions impossible. A reasonable office salary is $60 per month; one liter of olive oil is $ 7, one kg of chicken $ 4, one kg of rice is $ 1. People are starving.

Winter is coming and the temperature is low, I am writing this wearing all my warm clothes and a blanket to keep warm. Most children I see are wearing summer clothes, and especially, ill-fitting sandals or open shoes.

I know times are difficult for all of us, but please consider donating to relieve hunger and cold of some of Aleppo’s children. This is the season of Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Christmas, and on 29^th November is International Giving Tuesday. Please consider donating even the smallest amount to share this season with the children of Aleppo.

You can make a difference immediately: $ 10 dollars can buy basic food for one month or a new pair of shoes for a child. $ 100 sets up a led lamp and battery to bring some free light to a family. $ 1000 pays the electricity for 6 months for a carpenter’s factory providing work for two families.

Your generosity brings a small light into our confusing times. Donating is good for the mind and the heart, thank you!