Home » News » Syria: nine years of war

Syria: nine years of war

Religious sister living in Syria talks about the country’s tragic conditions.

March 15 will mark the ninth anniversary of the start of the conflict in Syria. “The situation is terrible,” said Sister Maria Lúcia Ferreira, a sister from the Mar Yakub Monastery in Qara, in the Christian region of Qalamoun, in a statement to the Portuguese headquarters of the ACN international foundation.

According to the Portuguese-born religious, better known as Sister Myri, “after the crisis in Lebanon and the new sanctions imposed on the country, the economic situation has become really terrible. People complain that they can barely buy [anything] to eat.”

Weather conditions have worsened an already difficult situation. “The winter was mild until January, when several snow storms struck us here in Qalamoun, one of the coldest places in Syria,” said the Sister, who belongs to the Congregation of the Sisters of the Unity of Antioch. Qalamoun is located in a mountainous area and is a traditionally Christian region, located in western Syria, near the border with Lebanon.

Sister Myri also explained that they had very little electricity in recent days. “Here in Qalamoun, we still get two hours with electricity and four hours without it, but I think the area is better off than others because we heard that in the city of Homs, they sometimes go two days without electrical power. It depends on the part of the country.”

Sister Maria Lúcia Ferreira, a sister from the Mar Yakub Monastery in Qara, in the Christian region of Qalamoun.
Sister Maria Lúcia Ferreira, a sister from the Mar Yakub Monastery in Qara, in the Christian region of Qalamoun.

As a direct result of electricity and gas shortages, of the economic crisis and of the worsening weather conditions, the poorest families are going through very hard times. The Portuguese nun gave as an example the tragic story of one family: “A local woman, whom we know well because she has a disabled daughter, told us that she had neither electricity nor gas. It is very hard to get gas in the country, or any kind of fuel oil to heat the furnace. So, she told us: “To keep Maria, my girl, warm, we have been burning clothes that we no longer use.”

Electricity shortages have also forced the Sisters to change some daily routines in the monastery. “Now we cook with firewood. We have to find firewood so that we can cook and eat something hot.”

“It’s horrible, people can no longer buy anything to eat. Some people survive on bread and water,” Sister Myri said. For this reason, she is asking for a show of solidarity and prayers for the Syrian people. “I would like to ask people to join us to pray for these people who are in such a situation.”

Like the town of Qara, where the sisters live, all of Syria continues to suffer from an extremely weak economy caused by nine years of war that have already left more than 380,000 dead and turned millions into refugees and internally displaced persons. The situation is exacerbated by the violence that continues in the northeast of the country, in Idlib province, where government forces are trying to capture the last stronghold still in the hands of jihadist groups. Syrian children are direct victims of this climate of war.

According to UNICEF, more than 300,000 children have been displaced from their homes and neighbourhoods since December alone. Approximately 1.2 million children are in a situation deemed extremely vulnerable.

The ACN Foundation is implementing various humanitarian aid projects for the neediest populations in Syria, including children. An example of this is the “fuel for heating” campaign with which ACN is supporting four major projects in Aleppo and Damascus. This is enabling more than 1,700 families in need, including the elderly and the sick, to cook food and warm their homes for at least a few hours.

Don't miss the latest updates!

Bishop denounces illegal occupation of Church land in Mozambique

"Officials who were sent there were chased away, there must…

Priest’s murder shocks Sierra Leone

Father Amadu was a man of peace, compassion, and unwavering…

Christian clergy in Gaza defy evacuation orders to remain with their flocks

Like other residents of Gaza City, the refugees living in…

Mozambique: Pope “close” to suffering people of Cabo Delgado

The Pope’s words were an important solace for the people…

Thousands of children prepare to return to school, thanks to ACN

Many families would not have been able to pay tuition…

Student’s dedication bears fruit for Ukrainian children

This year, a group of Portuguese students decided to do…

Pakistan: Two years on, justice still not done

What’s changed over the last two years since the attacks…

Terrified women and children block road after three more murders

It is terrible, people are traumatised, it’s a horrific thing…

Women lead the way in praying for peace in the world

Religious sisters are often on the frontlines of wars, helping…

List of News

Bishop denounces illegal occupation of Church land in Mozambique

"Officials who were sent there were chased away, there must be a very powerful invisible and untouchable hand encouraging the criminals"

Priest’s murder shocks Sierra Leone

Father Amadu was a man of peace, compassion, and unwavering commitment to the spiritual and social upliftment of his community

Faith among the glaciers: a Capuchin bishop on the Church’s northern front

“Our common language is faith. We believe the same thing. The Church is our mother,” Bishop David Tencer explains