Islamic State recently staged their most sophisticated attack since 2019 – a prison break to release former IS fighters in an effort to refill their ranks once again. According to Save the Children, hundreds of boys and teenagers were allegedly used as human shields during the fighting. In late January, Islamic State militants attacked the Read more
Turkey is ‘weaponizing water’ in parts of Syria, say humanitarian groups. They have repeatedly accused Turkey of ‘weaponizing water’ since its military takeover of the region in October 2019. Those especially affected are those living in the north of Syria. The past few years’ religious freedom for Kurds, Christians and Yazidis is reportedly again under Read more
As part of an effort to remember and pray for persecuted Christians, several churches in the Diocese of Málaga, Spain are displaying a chalice that was shot by the Islamic State. The chalice was rescued from a Syrian Catholic church in the town of Qaraqosh on the Nineveh plain in Iraq. It was brought to Read more
Reopening a war-damaged cathedral in the Syrian city of Aleppo has provided a sliver lining for the community. The Maronite Cathedral of Saint Elijah has special significance for Maronite Catholics in the area. After lying in ruins for several years, Christmas Mass was celebrated in the cathedral in 2016 amid debris and ash. The war-damaged Read more
Three Catholic-run hospitals providing life-saving services free of charge to vulnerable Syrians hope to aid some 50,000 patients by the project’s end next year. “Institutions in Syria now are having a lot of difficulties … So, this project supporting these hospitals is helping them to go on,” said Flavia Chevallard, project coordinator for “Operation Open Read more
In the name of Pope Francis, the Congregation for Eastern Churches said it is sending ten ventilators to Syria and three to St Joseph’s Hospital in Jerusalem to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. The donations were among the first items announced by the congregation as it launched an emergency fund in response to the pandemic. Read more
It’s freezing cold and the kids don’t have proper shoes, but the elderly Samar couldn’t risk it. Overnight, the bombings got too close. They fled their village in a panic, the older children carrying the little ones, walking for seven hours just to getaway. The youngest children are shaking, their cheeks are bright pink from Read more
As Turkish-led forces began the fifth day of their move against Kurdish militias in northeastern Syria Sunday, Pope Francis appealed for dialogue, especially as families in the region are forced to flee from warfare. “My thoughts go once again to the Middle East. In particular, to the beloved and tormented Syria, from which dramatic news Read more
Syria continues to suffer deadly government-initiated airstrikes in its rebel-held north-west, while ordinary citizens bear the brunt of the carnage. Syrian opposition activists and a war monitor say five people died and 21 were wounded on Sunday as the government continued its air campaign against the region. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war Read more
In a hand-delivered letter, Pope Francis told Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad he is deeply concerned about the humanitarian situation in northern Syria’s Idlib region which has been the target of Russian-backed airstrikes since April. He also asked for the safe return of the millions of people displaced by years of fighting, information for the families Read more