The construction work of our first school in Meskeneh-Homs, Syria runs on high tours. The foundation of the building is already finished. The school with kindergarten is built in cooperation with the local Syrian Orthodox church community in Meskeneh, Homs. After the completion of this project, about 220 children who are at war will be able to attend classes here. The church community of Meskeneh takes over the management and administration of the school. It is our first construction project of this form in Syria. We are very happy about this important educational project which we can only realize with your energetic support!
The costs for the 1st stage (foundation and ground floor) have already been covered. The remaining costs for the 2nd stage (1st floor) are now covered by 70%. We sincerely thank you for your continued support. We keep you informed about the progress of the construction on a regular basis. For questions please email: info@aramaicrelief.com
During the last weeks (end of Oct / beginning Nov 2016) in Syria and Iraq, we again carried out numerous distributions of aid goods and coordinated many new aid projects. We will publish all reports, videos and photos on the use of the project as well as our new projects in the Middle East in the coming days. We sincerely thank you all for the support!
WINTER HELP – Clothes collection for war victims in Syria – 20 tons on their way to Syria
Altogether, during the month of October we were able to collect 20 tons of warm winter clothes, shoes and blankets for war victims in Syria. The relief supplies are already on their way to Syria. In the middle of November we expect the arrival. They are then handed over directly to the internally deported and war-damaged families by our ARAMAIC RELIEF team. Thanks a lot to all donors and particularly to all volunteers who have worked 20 tons of boxes and loaded them into two trucks during 3 days. We will keep you informed about the distributions.
VIDEO – Clothes collection for war victims in Syria – Winterhelp with 20 tons by ARAMAIC RELIEF
The news of the refugees from Syria seeking refuge here in Europe is spreading in the media. Unfortunately, the world is forgetting that there are still millions of people who live in the country despite the brutal war, can not flee, or continue to hold out there for love and peace. As already reported, we were there in the middle of September to provide direct assistance. Where today there are hardly any helpers to be found due to the danger. Now the icy winter is approaching, people are missing everything, especially warm clothing, heating and electricity. That is why we decided to implement a third aid transport from Switzerland. This time, we will deliver the goods by land and sea directly to Syria.
Our goal is to fill 2 big trucks with warm clothes, blankets and shoes and send them to Syria in early November. We can do this only with your help in the form of a crowdfunding; Only if each donor makes a small financial contribution, we are able to realize such important supplies of goods from Switzerland. Therefore, we ask for CHF 2.- per kilogram of clothing / blankets / shoes. We accept the transport fee when the crates are delivered in Dübendorf or at one of the collection points (scales will be available). We ask you NOT to place food, toys, medicines or other items in the clothes boxes.
Contact: Mr Malas
Tel: 0788528875
johnmalas@bluewin.ch
If someone sets up a collection point in his city, please let me know so we can publish it here.
We can not receive boxes by mail!
For transport assistance, we would like to thank you for every contribution (donor account):
Postal Account: 61-258514-4
IBAN: CH04 0900 0000 6125 8514 4
Bank: PostFinance, Berne
BIC: POFICHBEXXX
Keyword (s): Transport assistance
The attached flyer contains all the important details on the collection, such as delivery date, date and time, etc.
We are currently back in Northern Iraq, already for the sixth time. We are carrying out further distribution of relief goods and will provide 900 refugee children with aid packages through our new “I am connected” campaign. Read more in the upcoming newsletter.
We sincerely thank you for your support and keep you up to date.
Here you will get to to the article on the SRF page.
Syria: «The people who remain are heroes»
Swiss clothing donations from Aramaic Relief have arrived: winter clothing is to help 10,000 refugees through the cold season in Nordirak.
Millions of Syrians are on the run from a merciless civil war. But there are also people who stay in their homeland. Her life is a single exception. Severiyos Aydin is Swiss with Aramaic roots. And one of the few who dare to provide help on the ground.
KEYSTONE
It is one of the greatest humanitarian crises of post-war history. 250,000 dead, many of them civilians, one million injured and soon five million on the run, so the Uno balanced the end of March. While those who need help at the external borders of the European Union struggle with the characteristics of the European refugee concept, the surviving Syrians are struggling with a home that is in ruins.
«A huge rubble heap»
Most of the relief organizations have withdrawn, and journalists are hardly anywhere else. One of the few who help in this hell is Severiyos Aydin. The Swiss with Syrian roots set up the charity “Aramaic Relief International” in January 2013.
The purpose of its aid organization is to provide direct assistance to people in areas where the arm of the international community no longer suffices. Just last week, Aydin visited the Syrian city of Homs and the surrounding villages Sadad (5 km from the IS), Zaidal, Fairuza and Meskene. What he is telling is shocking.
“In all cases, these are places that have long been contested,” says Aydin. Like for example the big city Homs. For almost three years, it was a ruthless battle, now resembling a huge rubble heap. “The extent of the destruction was gigantic, even the historic old town was not spared.
Without help, these people also escape
In the distance, detonations can be heard, and grenades are exploding in the region. Although the checkpoints and military presence of Assad’s troops are relatively safe, Aydin says the area is still dangerous.
No one knows the exact numbers of those who are left behind. Aydin speaks of half a million people. “When I was there last week, I saw a lot of people who tried to follow their day-to-day life. That was very impressive. ”
[cs_quote quote_cite=”Severiyos Aydin” quote_cite_url=”#” quote_text_color=”#333333″ quote_align=”left”]If the situation deteriorates, these people will also be forced to leave the country. [/cs_quote]
Their greatest concern was the progress of the war, their own security, and the humanitarian situation. “If the situation deteriorates, these people will also be forced to leave the country,” says Aydin in an interview with SRF News.
A huge love for the home
What distinguishes these people from those who have decided to flee is actually not answerable, says Aydin. Geographical, economic and political reasons would also play a role.
“I can tell about the people I recently met in Homs. As a Christian, I also have a strong interest in the persecution of minorities in the Middle East. These, together with the brutal conflict, also suffer from a strong persecution by Islamic groups of terrorists. ”
And yet, many of you would stay in the country. Even those who had once fallen into the hands of the miners of the Terrormiliz. “They always tell me about their enormous love for their homeland and the fear of fleeing into uncertainty,” says Aydin. They would have confidence in a speedy recovery. “This is heroic and difficult for us to understand,” adds Aydin, “the more important it is to work for these people on the ground.”
Aydin’s organization cooperates with local partners, including the humanitarian arm of the Syrian Orthodox Church. Projects include emergency aid for internally displaced families. With food, hygiene articles, shelter, medicine and financing of emergency operations.
The organization also supports families in the reconstruction of the bombed apartments, if this is still possible. “We help the other families with rented apartments by financing the monthly rent,” explains Aydin. Aramaic Relief is also the focus of youth.
At the time the school was beginning, says the young man. So in the last two weeks, they would have equipped 700 children with school supplies, schoolbooks and school-books. The students help the organization with the travel expenses and with the university fees so that they can continue their studies. In addition, “Aramaic Relief” maintains a children’s nursery project.
Hope for people in Switzerland
Aydin’s greatest desire is that you do not forget these people. Not the citizens of Europe, but also their politicians. “The winter is coming,” says Aydin, “that will be a very bad time for many people in Syria, but also in Northern Iraq, where we are working.”
For this, they are currently launching new projects. Projects which could not be realized without external help. Severiyos Aydin is also counting on the people from his home town, Switzerland.
This movie shows part of our humanitarian help to syrian refugees and internally displaced families in northern Iraq during the last 2,5 years. “Our mission is to serve the poor, help the displaced, relieve the war affected people and reach the most needy ones!” Many thanks for your support!
ARAMAIC RELIEF was working directly on the scene for three weeks. First in Northern Iraq, where we distributed 15 tons of clothing from Switzerland to needy refugees. In addition, 4 tons of food were supplied to the displaced Jesidis and Christians. Finally, with the two tons of children’s books collected in Switzerland, the two libraries in Erbil, we had for the employment of refugee children.
Then we went to Lebanon …
POVERTY – CHILDHOOD – EXPLOITATION
Lebanon is the country with the most Syrian refugees, estimated to be 2 million including the non-registered refugees. Most of them are located in simple self-made tents in the Bekaa plain. Others, on the other hand, hired small outbuildings and lived there, as is often the case in Beirut. Poverty is omnipresent. To pay the rent, the parents work for hunger wages with very bad conditions, this is usually not enough. So that in many cases the children are forced to work hard to support the family with further income. Schools are not allowed to visit them and often land on the oblique railway, where they then join criminal gangs.
Our local partner organization, which has been providing humanitarian aid to the Syrian refugees in Lebanon for many years, has accepted this problem and recently opened its own school in Beirut. With the aim of keeping the children away from violence and exploitation and integrating them into the education system. They also support hundreds of families with monthly food packages and rent the apartments. ARAMAIC RELIEF attended this school and spoke with the families. We have laid the foundations for long-term cooperation in order to counteract this problem together.
NOW WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF SYRIAN WARS
In the third and last week, we went to Syria with representatives of the local church community. From Beirut we headed towards Damascus, the heavily contested capital of Syria. I was already in Damascus last summer 2014, much has not changed since then. Every few kilometers there are military checkpoints. No car is left without control. In the distance you can hear detonations, because the front is not far from the city center. We did not focus on humanitarian aid for internally displaced war invaders. It is lacking at all ends, the need is greater than ever. We visited other areas that were not spared the terror of this brutal war. On the way between the fronts to Homs, “the cradle of rebellion”, it is the third largest city in Syria. She was fought for 2.5 years until she was freed by government troops. Today it is only a huge rubble heap. In a first action we supported numerous families with urgently needed relief supplies, housing and medical costs. We also visited the city of Sadad, where the biggest massacre of Christians had been committed since the outbreak of the war. Even today the inhabitants suffer from the bad consequences of the fighting around the idyllic small town. We have prepared about 10 long-term support programs, which we will introduce to you very soon. At the end of our trip we visited the famous village of Maalula …
ARAMAIC RELIEF supports families in Maalula, Syria
The strategically important Christian village Maalula west of the Syrian capital Damascus is traditionally a significant pilgrimage place with its early Christian churches and cave monasteries. The village is one of the few places where Aramaic is still spoken, the language of Jesus.
Maalula had been occupied by terrorists of the Nusra Front, 2013 several weeks. One week before Easter 2014, the town was recaptured by government troops. Numerous historical churches and monasteries were desecrated and devastated by the terrorists. Dozens of nuns were abducted and numerous inhabitants were killed. The people of Maalula still suffer from the consequences of the fighting to the significant village.
ARAMAIC RELIEF International visited the village of Maalula a few days ago. We were again confronted with a picture of unimaginable rage of destruction, not even pictures, statues and crosses were spared. The extent of the violent battles to the city is not to be overlooked. The people stand, for example, Still under shock. They told us how they had experienced the conquest of the village. Their stories keep us breathless. Today, they are faced with nothing, no work that destroys their own home, fear and grief are ubiquitous. They are urgently dependent on international aid. “We have no money to rebuild our apartments, so we sit in rented apartments, but can not even pay the rents, let alone the daily livelihood!” Tell us a resident of Maalula’s.
ARAMAIC RELIEF International supported 60 families with the necessary financial resources for their daily living. Long-term projects are also already being planned.
