Six years of war left Syria struggling with one crisis after another. Those who are still living in the country are faced with a spike in living costs. Food is getting scarce and expensive.
One third of the affected families in Syria is buried in debt, with people borrowing money to provide food at the table.
Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) announced that it will send humanitarian aid for the thousands who are facing life-threatening poverty in Syria, Independent Catholic News reports.
The Catholic charity revealed that the cost of living in the war-torn country has increased dramatically. The price of basic commodities such as wheat flour and rice surged by 300 per cent and 650 per cent, respectively. One third of the affected families in Syria is buried in debt, with people borrowing money to provide food at the table.
ACN is coordinating with local church leaders in helping displaced Syrians. The new relief package includes food and medicines for 3,000 families.
Father Andrzej Halemba, ACN’s Middle East project head, said there is a daily struggle for Syrians—Christians and others, to buy food.
Sister Lolita Houssein of the Good Shepherd Sisters said, “Today Syrian citizens are struggling to survive after their livelihoods were destroyed during the last six years of conflict.” Having three meals a day is a now a rare occurrence.
In addition to food aid, ACN announced 32 projects to support Syrian families. These include an educational fund and housing rent assistance, Vatican Radio reports.
“What we’re doing is focusing on the most basic of aid, so we’ve got food aid, for example for 2,200 displaced families in both Aleppo and a neighboring city of Hasakah,” explained John Pontifex, Head of Press and Information for ACN.
“We’ve got ongoing support for two schools run by religious sisters in Aleppo and we’ve also got a multi-purpose sports hall and pitch for young Christians in Aleppo,” he added.
Pontifex stressed the importance of providing aid to the citizens affected by the conflict. He said it reminds people that they are not forgotten.
Sources:
Independent Catholic News
Vatican Radio
