March 12, 2021
News
The war in Syria began 10 years ago. Since then, it has driven millions out of their homes, whether out of Syria or within the country. According to UN OCHA, 2.7 million internally displaced people live in north-eastern Syria, 1.6 million of them in refugee camps. Caritas Czech Republic has been working in Syria since 2013 and this year will help young people with livelihood.
"Caritas Czech Republic should be present where our help is most needed. We have been working in Syria for a long time, but we believe we should increase our presence even more. This way we will help bring more money and another helping hand to the country,” says Jiří Škvor, Head of the Humanitarian Aid and Development Cooperation Department of Caritas Czech Republic.
Providing medical assistance and repairing homes
Caritas began working in Syria two years after the outbreak of the conflict. We have been helping to mitigate the effects of the civil war in the country. "For example, we operated a mobile health clinic in the Idlib area, we supplied the necessary medicine for medical centres and we also operated a clinic in Aleppo," describes Kateřina Velíšková, the manager for Middle East in Caritas Czech Republic. "Thanks to our help, more than 20,000 people in Idlib and Aleppo have gained better access to healthcare."
We provided clothing, hygiene items, as well as school supplies and food vouchers to families who fled to other parts of Syria because of the war. More than 11,000 people received this help.
Caritas also helped repair war-torn houses in the province of Idlib in northern Syria. Last year, we managed to repair 155 houses into which families could move again.
We help young people make a living
This year, we will help in the province of Idlib again. We will focus on the employment of young people and help them with livelihood so that they can stand on their own two feet.
Together, we will provide trainings to 420 young people and teach them the basics of business and financial literacy. We will support the young people who undergo the trainings with small grants to help them start a business. At the same time, we will provide them with supervision and mentoring to make sure they have a chance to succeed and be able to sustain a living in the long run.
Helping communities
Caritas Czech Republic is working in many countries through its own registered branches, thanks to which it can guarantee the efficiency of its work and ensure that every dollar provides as much help as possible.
"In Syria, there is a significant need in the livelihood sector, which is also one of our flagships in many countries. We believe that if we support proactive people within the community, we will enable them to provide long-term livelihood not only for themselves, but also for their families, and through new job opportunities for other members of the community,” explains Jiří Škvor.
Since the outbreak of the war, Caritas Czech Republic has been helping not only in Syria, but also in Iraq and Lebanon.
