By Romina Acosta Bimbrera, Communication and Public Relations Advisor
Several years of conflict and the fall of a regime
On November 27, 2024, rebels from the Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS; Levant Liberation Group) stormed Aleppo, upsetting the little stability that reigned in the streets after years of conflict in Syria. After several days of violence, Bashar al Assad’s government fell on December 8, ending 50 years of his family’s reign. The country has been plunged into great uncertainty, with everyone wondering what the transition will mean.
As UN humanitarian coordinator for Syria Adam Abdelmoula noted, “The Syrian crisis continues to be one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises. Prior to the influx of more than half a million returnees and refugees from Lebanon since September, there were more than 16.7 million persons in need of humanitarian assistance. This latest violence adds even more lives that now need to be urgently saved.”
According to a January 2025 report by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 627,000 people are newly displaced people in Syria. In the northeast, more than 68,700 children are not attending school because 133 schools as being used as emergency shelters.
Years of standing with the people
Development and Peace ― Caritas Canada has been present in Syria for several years. Over the past decade, Canadians’ solidarity helped more than 1.3 million people survive the ravages of war, hunger, poverty and displacement. We also supported our partners after the February 2023 earthquake, which killed over 50,000 people and injured more than 118,000 in Turkey and Syria.
Our partners in Syria, including Caritas Syria and the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS), remail on the ground with the affected population.
In solidarity with our partners
After the escalation of violence in Aleppo and the fall of the Assad regime, we checked in with our partners. They report that things are uncertain for them and the people they serve. So, they are in evaluation and adaptation mode. Teams are monitoring the situation and trying to organize their work with the new government.
Caritas Syria is preparing to meet the people’s most urgent needs by distributing food, hygiene kits, blankets and especially drinking water, which has become scarce in several towns.
JRS has kept the three health centers that we help finance open and operational. Their team on the ground is assessing the situation every day. They are also communicating with other organizations to determine how best to respond to the enormous need for food aid this winter.
Our international programs coordinator and Middle East programs officer Nagui Demian said, “While the country’s situation is uncertain, the needs of the Syrian people are growing all the time, and there is much to be done. It is vital to provide humanitarian assistance rapidly to Syrians facing this crisis, to rebuild the country after almost 15 years of war and to strengthen social cohesion.”
Development and Peace ― Caritas Canada will remain in constant communication with its partners. Until the situation stabilizes, let us not forget Syria!
