Syrian Christians in imminent danger as Aleppo clashes escalate

A humanitarian crisis is unfolding in Aleppo — a city that is home to one of Syria’s largest Christian populations — as violent clashes intensify between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and government troops loyal to Damascus, according to AP News.

In what is also Syria’s largest city, Christian families have found themselves trapped on the front lines, unable to leave their homes, according to a Jan. 7 emailed press release from Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). Schools and universities are shut down, public life has ground to a halt, and hospitals remain among the few functioning services. 

Christmas events were also canceled amid the violence.

“It was too dangerous to worship, too sad to celebrate,” the release stated. 

Father Hugo Alaniz, a project partner of ACN, described hearing bombing and gunfire all day during Christmas. 

“We do not know what will happen, but we pray that everything calms down, so we ask for your prayers,” he said. “We were actually planning to celebrate Christmas with our kids yesterday because it wasn’t safe to celebrate on Christmas Day due to clashes, but these same events prevented us from doing so again. We were hearing the bombing and gunfire between both sides the whole day.” 

Fr. Alaniz asked for prayers that both parties may reach an agreement and that peace prevails over the country.

Another ACN project partner, Fr. Fadi Najjar, said in a message sent to ACN “Of course, the civilians are always the weakest link, and those who suffer most, he said. “Many people have left their homes, and many have died.”

AP News confirms that over 46,000 people have already been displaced in Aleppo province, with the military declaring Jan. 3 that the Kurdish neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Achrafieh are “closed military areas.” Explosions were reported shortly after the army’s Jan. 3 evacuation deadline passed. The Syrian government has announced what it calls a “limited military operation” in response to recent SDF attacks, according to the report. 

At least 12 people were killed in Jan. 7 clashes — seven in SDF-held areas and five in government-held zones — according to AP News, with dozens more wounded. Kurdish forces accuse the government of a “suffocating siege,” while Damascus insists the operations aim to restore security.

“For those forced to flee, the Church has opened the doors of its buildings to their faithful,” ACN reported. 

Many families remain trapped, with fear replacing festivity during what should be a joyful Christmas season.