The Pontifical Foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) approved on October 2 a second financial aid package to restore the infrastructure of the Church in Syria affected by the February earthquake and to support local Christians.
Nearly 500,000 US dollars will be sent by ACN to the Middle Eastern country, that suffered the serious consequences of the devastating earthquake on February 6, which killed almost 60,000 people in Turkey and Syria (8,476 victims in Syria) and left injuries. to almost 122,000 in both countries.
Several Syrian cities with a significant Christian population were affected, including Aleppo, Homs, Latakia and Hama. In all of these, in addition to the human losses, several temples also suffered structural damage.
Xavier Stephen Bisits, ACN representative in Syria, Lebanon and Egypt, stated that this aid package “covers repairs to nine churches and monasteries, two schools, a kindergarten, a community center and a youth center.” Likewise, he reported that with the money a missionary priest will buy a new truck because his was crushed by the rubble.
“This [economic] support will help the Church to recover, to continue serving the most vulnerable and to continue its most basic pastoral work, in a country that is still in crisis,” Bisits added.
62% of the aid package will be allocated to Aleppo, where two schools and a care center for the dispossessed will be restored. Regarding the repair of these educational centers, the foundation stated that it wants to help “guarantee that children can continue receiving education in a safe environment, thus guaranteeing greater social and family stability.”
Likewise, 25% of the economic aid package will be received the city of Latakia, where three churches will be recovered, “including the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Saint George, the Melkite Catholic Monastery of Our Lady of Joy and the Armenian Orthodox Church of Santa María”, explained ACN.
Since the earthquake, the Pontifical Foundation has repaired Christian homes in four different governorates and provided emergency aid to 2,800 families. It also “funded summer activities as well as pastoral support for children and families and distributed medicine to affected Christians.”
Michlen Mukel, a resident of Aleppo and affected by the earthquake, indicated that she and her family were “lucky to receive the support of the Church and ACN,” which took care of strengthening the roof of her home, and other work in the basement and the foundation of the house.
“I am very grateful to everyone who contributed to this important project, especially the benefactors. Thanks to their efforts, our houses are safe and ready for winter,” Mukel told ACN