JRS: providing a lifeline in war-torn Aleppo

(Vatican Radio)  Every day the inhabitants in the Syrian city of Aleppo dice with death due to the daily shelling and bombardments by government and rebel forces that have reduced many areas to rubble. In addition to the war, the inhabitants also face a battle to survive owing to a dire humanitarian situation with virtually no electricity and chronic water shortages. But in the midst of this daily death and destruction, the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) in Aleppo is providing a vital lifeline to thousands of people living in this war-torn city. JRS has a kitchen that prepares meals each day for 10,000 displaced people and also has a medical clinic that serves 12,000 people. Father Chassam Sahoui is the director of JRS in Aleppo and talked to Susy Hodges about the challenges of everyday life in Aleppo and their heroic humanitarian work.

Listen to the interview with Father Sahoui of JRS:  

A Syrian himself, Father Sahoui describes the constant fear experienced by the inhabitants of Aleppo and the trauma they experience from witnessing all the horrors of war. He said every day he encounters people in the city who “want to leave” but where to go and how to leave the country is a huge challenge. Obtaining water is also a daily challenge as there are frequent and lengthy interruptions in the mains supply and it’s a common sight to see long queues for water at churches and mosques and other places around the city where they may be taps still providing water.

Father Sahoui also describes JRS’ humanitarian work to help the beleaguered population in Aleppo. He said they have a kitchen that despite all the odds provides meals each day for 10,000 displaced people. The recipients are mainly Muslins but they include many Christian families as well.  He said JRS also has a clinic in Aleppo that provides medical care to 12,000 people.

Father Sahoui appealed for more funds, saying they desperately need more money to help them in their humanitarian work. It’s clear that without JRS’s lifeline, many more people in Aleppo would struggle to survive.