“Within 48 hours, everything changed,” explained Ali,* a Syrian father of four. “Our home, car, food, and all our belongings were destroyed by shelling, and our lives were turned upside down. First we felt shock, and then fear about what might happen next if they stayed.”
Ali and his family led a comfortable life in Syria before the armed conflict submerged their country in violence and destruction. They lived in an urban area near Ali’s brothers and their children. They all had jobs and plans for the future. For a while they felt that the conflict brewing in other parts of the country wouldn’t affect them. Then, the shelling started in their town. Ali and his brothers and all their children were forced to flee their homes, leaving behind everything, including their dreams.
Ali and his family led a comfortable life in Syria before the armed conflict submerged their country in violence and destruction. They lived in an urban area near Ali’s brothers and their children. They all had jobs and plans for the future. For a while they felt that the conflict brewing in other parts of the country wouldn’t affect them. Then, the shelling started in their town. Ali and his brothers and all their children were forced to flee their homes, leaving behind everything, including their dreams.
Ali is just one of the estimated 4.25 million people who are internally displaced within Syria. The United Nations reports that to date over 6.8 million people have been affected by the ongoing civil war. Millions of families are living in precarious conditions both within Syria and in neighboring countries, without proper access to food, water, shelter and medical support.
“We want to be treated like human beings, not like animals."
World Renew is working with local partners in Syria to provide much-needed food assistance and other supplies, such as bedding and kitchen utensils. Through this response, local Christian churches have become places of compassion, reaching out to displaced families, both Christian and Muslim, who have lost everything.
Ali and his family managed to escape the fighting in their home town and move to a safer part of the country. Ali, his wife and children and his brothers and their families – 16 children in total, plus parents and grandparents – now live in one rented apartment. Not only is it crowded, but the cost to rent the apartment is unreasonably high due to the high volume of displaced people arriving and looking for shelter. Ali and his family have felt unwelcome in this new neighborhood and have occasionally had to resort to begging for hand-outs just to get by.
World Renew’s local partner in Syria visited Ali and his family to ask how they could best support families like Ali’s. “We want to be treated like human beings, not like animals,” Ali said.
With the support of World Renew and its partners, they are now receiving food assistance. By demonstrating compassion to those in need, families are able to regain some sense of dignity despite their difficult situation.
The needs of displaced families within Syria and refugees in neighboring countries continue to grow. World Renew urgently needs your support to continue to serve communities affected by the civil war and bring compassion to those who have lost everything.
To support World Renew’s response to the Syria Crisis, please donate online…
Or call us or send your cheque marked “Syria Conflict 2012” to one of our offices:
World Renew US
2850 Kalamazoo Ave SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49560
Tel: 1-800-552-7972
World Renew Canada
3475 Mainway
P.O. Box 5070 STN LCD
Burlington, Ontario, L7R 3Y8
Tel: 1-800-730-3490
*Name changed for security reasons
Photo; A Syrian family (not Ali's) displaced by the conflict is now living in a crowded apartment. Photo Credit: Open Doors