Turkey's attack on Afrin in Syria from January to March has displaced 150,000 people in the country. At least 200 civilians have died. However, the 300 Christian families in Afrin known to our partners have managed to escape unharmed during the night between Friday, March 16 and Saturday, March 17 - shortly before the Islamist rebels in collaboration with Turkish troops took Afrin.
The refugees could not take anything with them beyond what they could carry. Kurdish Muslim neighbors who have stayed in Afrin and are friends with Christians tell them that Turks' jihadist allies have looted and vandalized church buildings, planted mines and are hunting so-called murtaddin - people who have left Islam. The few neighbors who have remained in Afrin have warned Christians not to return to Afrin as their lives will be in danger.
The moment the Turkish military began its assault in January 2018, several villages with Christian inhabitants were bombed, triggering a flow of refugees towards the capital Afrin. Here, their Christian brothers and sisters sheltered the refugees in their homes and churches. But the bombing intensified and many civilians were killed - although Turkey denies it. Schools and hospitals were shelled and looted. Until the very last day, church services were held in the city of Afrin. Eventually, there was no hope of holding the city as the invaders had cut off all electricity and water supplies.
Refugees head towards Aleppo
To avoid a bloodbath, the Kurdish troops now allowed the civilian population to flee. Until then, Kurdish troops had prevented most people from fleeing. But now the forces informed the people of Afrin via loudspeakers that everyone was free to leave the city and that they, the troops, would withdraw.
Fearing the terrorists and remembering the suffering that has befallen them throughout history, over 150,000 people immediately left Afrin, including Christian converts, Yazidis, Armenians and Kurds.
Many refugees are heading towards Aleppo, but are being held back north of the city by Assad government forces, and are currently staying in villages such as Tall Rif at, Nublu and Zahra.
Some have camped in open fields or in crowded villages during their escape. Some of the young men who have fled Afrin have already been forced into Assad's army.
Please pray that these refugees who have been uprooted will find help and a safe place to live. Turkey's announcement that they will continue their military operations against the Kurdish regions further east is causing great concern among Christians. This military campaign will create even greater refugee flows because the Kurdish areas have become havens for the countless internally displaced people, especially Christians and other minorities.
Brave local Syrian Christians are helping
In the midst of the resurgent civil war, local Christian relief teams are reaching out to those in need. The local relief teams we support provide emergency aid to 300 Christian families and an additional 500 families from other backgrounds.
A local pastor, Amir Sana, writes in a letter:
"I would like to describe what has happened to the civilian population and specifically the believers and what their needs are. There are more than 150,000 people who have had to flee because of the war. After visiting the affected areas, I gained an understanding of what the refugees' greatest needs are:
- Emergency baskets with rice, semolina, lentils, sugar, tea, oil, thyme and cheese.
- Hygiene items including hand washing soap, dishwashing liquid, laundry soap, shampoo and a comb.
These are the most pressing needs of the people displaced by the war. As the conflict progresses, their needs will change. Until then, these are what we desperately need to help the displaced", writes the priest Amir.
How powerful it is to see local Syrian Christians reaching out to people in need. The Christians themselves live in a dictatorship and a civil war-torn, impoverished country. But God's love drives Christians to stay and help the vulnerable. You can support the local Syrian Christians and provide the refugees with food and hygiene items. You can show them that they are not forgotten in a war zone, but that there are people who care about them.
In the darkness of war, Christians are a shining light and point with their acts of love to the hope found in the Bible.
On average, it costs around $150 to ensure a family has food, water, hygiene items and medicine for a week.
On average, it costs around 652 DKK to ensure that a family has food, water, hygiene items and medicine for a month.
Thank you for standing with the local Syrian Christians and lending a helping hand to the displaced.
