As life returns to normal in Aleppo, trauma lingers and fear remains
ACN is committed to helping rebuild homes and lives of the Christian community in Syria.
Violence in Aleppo, Syria’s second most important city, has subsided following the withdrawal of forces from the Kurdish-led coalition which were occupying two neighbourhoods in defiance of government forces.
Although neither of the parties of the conflict had any issue with the Christian community, many Christians lost their homes and belongings in the fighting, according to Marielle Boutros, who heads the Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) office in Beirut, also covering Syria.
“Many Christian houses were burnt or otherwise damaged. We are working on numbers, but just off the top of my head I can say that we have around 25 fully destroyed houses and around 350 that have suffered minor, medium or major damage. The Church is assessing the damage now to see how to help the Christians go back to their houses and to rebuild,” Boutros explains. ACN is committed to helping the Christian community return to their homes and already has several projects in the works to help repair damage and rebuild what was destroyed, in coordination with the local Church institutions.
Unfortunately, the violence also caused casualties, with both dead and wounded having been caught in the crossfire.
Meanwhile, life has returned to normal in Aleppo, but people’s mentalities are harder to mend, says Boutros. “At the moment, things are very calm, back to normal, but what is really affected is the psychology of the people, the situation, the fear, the trauma that resulted from this mini war that occurred in Aleppo. It brought back memories from the civil war, traumas that were probably hidden for a long time. So, we can see that the people are okay, shops are open, classes have begun, but what is not yet back to normal is the emotional status of the people.”
This is especially tragic, she believes, since the last time she was in Syria, for a conference in December of Christian charities working in the country, she noted some budding optimism in the local community. “I came with positive vibes because of the people, actually. Because the Christians are beginning to think more freely, they are more able to dream and ready to invest in themselves again, to love their country again, even though serious problems remain,” she explains, although clarifying that the same might not apply to other religious or ethnic minorities, such as the Druze, or the Alawites, who have faced more serious persecution over the past year.
However, the return of tranquillity to Aleppo does not mean that the country is at peace. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces continue to control a large part of the northeast of the country, and with negotiations faltering between them and the new government, Damascus forces are advancing towards big cities such as Al-Hassakeh and Qamishli, both of which have important Christian communities.
“We have contacted the local bishops, and they are cautious, calling for prayer. I hope a truce will be signed and no more blood be shed,” says Marielle Boutros, who warns of potential instability spreading into the Iraqi regions across the border, which are also home to Christian communities.
ACN has several projects in northeast Syria, including support for summer camps for children, Mass stipends to help support the local clergy and also financial aid for Christian schools. The charity remains in close contact with the local Christian communities there.
“It’s time for Syria to turn the page on years of conflict. The Syrian people just want to live in peace,” Marielle Boutros concludes.
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