Sirya: The war in Aleppo is not over
Over 140,000 displaced in Aleppo as clashes intensify. While shelling traps civilians in Kurdish districts, our soup kitchen remains active, providing meals and shelter to those fleeing the violence.
Instability grows from Damascus to Aleppo
Syria, from Damascus to Aleppo, is undergoing a phase of profound instability. One year after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, the situation on the ground has not only failed to improve but is now showing increasingly dramatic developments
Jean-François Thiry, project manager for Pro Terra Sancta in Syria, reports that numerous clashes were already recorded between September and October. These were followed, in the days immediately preceding Christmas, by a temporary truce and ambiguos political announcements regarding the future of the forces present in the city.
Frictions between the Syrian government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) had led to a ceasefire set to expire on December 31st. This agreement was intended to integrate the Kurdish military into the state forces and return the neighborhoods to government control. However, the agreement was never implemented. As a result, Aleppo has once again found itself at the center of a new wave of tension.
Escalation militare: aggiornamenti dal campo
Historically marked by deep ethnic and sectarian divisions since the beginning of the civil war in 2011, Aleppo has seen the Kurdish neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafiyeh remain largely outside the full control of the Assad regime, which tolerated them as buffer zones against Islamist groups.
On January 7, at 3:00 PM, government forces launched a military operation against these districts, issuing an evacuation ultimatum. Since then, the city has once again plunged into conflict. As of today, January 9, the number of displaced persons has exceeded 140,000.
Clashes and Civilian casualties in Aleppo
From the field, Jean-François Thiry desribes a rapidly deteriorating situation: «You can see people fleeing their homes with suitcases. The shelling continues. I don’t know where the mortars are being fired from, but they can be clearly heard from where I am».
According to Thiry, civilian casualties are already estimated to be around twenty, with severe impacts on residential areas and concrete risks for families living close to the urban frontlines. «We don’t know how this phase of the war will end – he warns – the city is small, and if the fighting intesnifies, the number of vicitms could rise rapidly. This situation could last for days».
Humanitarian Emergency: Community Kitchen Operations and Families Seeking Refuge
Our activities on Syrian soil are also at risk, yet the community kitchen service in Aleppo has not stopped. Together with our volunteers, we have continued to distribute hot meals to displaced families and the elderly who remain trapped in their homes.
Some families have found refuge at the Franciscan Care Center, the first facility opened in 2018 to provide assistance to children affected by the conflict. The Terra Sancta College has already welcomed more than 60 people: children, families, and young people left alone. In a context of growing emergency, our facilities are becoming vital reception points, responding to the population’s most urgent needs.
« It is fundamental to guarantee safe corridors and protection for civilians– Thiry emphasizes – The absolute priority must be the safety of the people.»