A month ago, the conflict in northern Syria escalated when Turkish troops attacked Kurdish-led forces. Following a ceasefire agreement, the immediate situation has defused, though many experts warn of longer-term consequences for Christians in the region.
The 22 October agreement put an end to Turkey’s offensive in northern Syria, and allowed Turkey to create what it calls a “safety zone” of 30km along the border between Turkey and Syria. It also requires the withdrawal of the Kurds from this zone.
Pastor George, an Open Doors local partner in Qamishli, Syria, said “Things are still not that clear; we can’t say we are in complete peace.”
Through our local partners like Pastor George, and the generosity of our supporters, we were able to respond immediately to the crisis, providing food, water, medicine and other basic needs to those most affected.
“Some [bombs] hit neighbourhoods in our town… we received several families who left their homes and came to the city. We asked them to stay in the church guest houses and provided supplies for them.
“I bought supplies of the basic needs like rice, sugar, canned food, bread and cheese. I tried to provide for the people left with nothing.”
Christians in northern Syria are no strangers to violence; in recent years, they have experienced violence through the rise of the Islamic State and the Syrian civil war. Many who were forced to flee during this conflict had only recently returned home after those earlier conflicts.
Please continue to pray for those affected by this conflict and its aftermath.
Pray For Syria:
- Thank God for the faithfulness of our supporters here and our local partners in the field as they have responded to this conflict.
- Pray that God will strengthen Pastor George and other local partners to continue assisting those affected by the attacks.
- Pray that God will give wisdom to church leaders and Christians in northern Syria as they make decisions about the future.
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