The money sent to Syria will help restore critical Church infrastructures and continue to provide aid to those in need.
International Pontifical Charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has approved a second aid package of nearly half a million dollars to help the local Church recover from the devastating February earthquake.
ACN was one of the first international organizations to offer emergency aid in Syria after the earthquake, thanks to its established presence on the ground and local trusted partners. The Catholic charity provided material, psychological, and educational assistance. The new aid package will go towards preserving and restoring crucial Church infrastructure, directly benefitting around 30,000 people from eight different rites in the four governorates most affected by the earthquake.
“ACN is grateful to its benefactors for supporting this new earthquake response package,” said Xavier Stephen Bisits, ACN’s representative for projects in Syria, Lebanon, and Egypt. “This package covers repairs to nine churches and monasteries, two schools, one kindergarten, a community centre, and a youth centre. It also covers the purchase of a new vehicle for a missionary priest whose van was crushed by rubble during the quake.”
“This aid will help the Church get back on its feet, keep serving the most vulnerable, and continue its most basic pastoral work, in a country that is still in crisis mode,” added Bisits, who travelled to the affected region to oversee relief efforts in the immediate aftermath of the February quake and has made regular visits since.
Aleppo, Latakia, and Hama
More than half of the aid (62%) will go to Aleppo and will include the restoration of two schools and a charity centre that helps the poor. By contributing to the restoration of the Mekhitarist school and the Karen Jeppe Gemaran school in this city, ACN is helping to ensure that children can continue to receive education in a safe environment, thereby guaranteeing greater social and family stability.
Close to 25% of the aid will go to Latakia, where ACN will be funding the restoration of three churches, including the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of St. George, the Catholic Melkite Monastery of Our Lady of Joy, and the Armenian Orthodox Church of St. Mary.
Beneficiaries thank ACN
The 7.8-magnitude earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria on February 6 was the largest in the region in over 80 years. The total confirmed death toll was close to 60,000, mostly in Turkey. Around 8,500 people died in Syria.
Since then, ACN has repaired the houses of Christians in four different governorates, paid the rent of displaced families, and provided emergency aid to a total of 2,800 families. Additionally, the charity funded summertime activities, as well as pastoral support for children and families, particularly in Aleppo. The aid also allowed for the distribution of medicines to affected Christians.
“ACN’s support was fundamental to the implementation of the emergency response in Latakia, where 440 families were helped through various activities, including the distribution of food kits and hygiene items, as well as the rehabilitation of four houses,” said Fr. Fadi Azar, a parish priest in Latakia, in response to ACN’s support so far.
Michlen Mukel is one of the beneficiaries of ACN’s first aid package. She and her family refused to leave Aleppo despite 12 years of war, a crippling financial crisis, and the earthquake which literally shook the foundations of their existence. The building she lives in was severely damaged.
“We reached out to several organizations for help, and we were fortunate enough to receive support from the Church and ACN. They began reinforcing the roof and fourth floor and also worked on the basement and foundations. I am so grateful to everyone who contributed to this important project, especially the benefactors. Thanks to their efforts, our homes are safe and ready for the winter,” she told ACN.
