November 27, 2025
News
It has been fourteen years since the civil war in Syria started. The locals have been facing violence, forced displacement, and severe shortages of essential goods, including food, water, and means of livelihood. Caritas Czech Republic, supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, has focused its assistance on the north of the country, near the Turkish-Syrian border. This region was affected by a devastating earthquake in 2023. Following the end of Bashar al-Assad’s administration this summer, the safety situation in the area even worsened. Yet, we are still able to report positive news from Syria. The following story is one of them.
Kamal’s journey to water
Kamal is 36 years old and, together with his wife, he raises seven young children. They live in the village of Kaljibrin in the region of Azaz in north Syria. Kamal runs a local restaurant where he serves simple traditional meals. Despite his hardworking nature and determination, it is not easy for Kamal to provide for his large, but modest family. Living expenses in the war-torn country are significant. Moreover, until recently, immense cuts in the family budget were caused by water charges.
Photo: Kamal runs a restaurant with traditional meals
His neighbours were in a similar situation because the village‘s water pumping station was out of service. More than twelve thousand people did not have their own source of drinking water. Locals were dependent on provisional, and not always reliable, supplies from elsewhere. Additionally, water from the tankers that was delivered to the village was also expensive.
Without water, people could not cook nor clean at home. Such conditions posed a serious health risk as they could lead to an outbreak of diseases such as cholera. These circumstances were untenable, and it was necessary to restore a source of safe, clean water.
Therefore, Caritas Czech Republic cooperates with the local organisation Takaful Al Sham on site. Our colleagues put the pumping station back into operation. Water began flowing into the main reservoir, from where it was distributed through the water supply network to households. Nowadays, people have access to water once a week.
Photo: Local water pumping station was restored thanks to Caritas Czech Republic
Thank God, water now reaches us regularly and free of charge. This has changed so much in our lives. We no longer need to buy water, and we have become more mindful of our health,
Kamal says. He refers to another activity of the Takaful Al Sham team whose members test the quality of water at the pumping station and in households. The goal is to ensure that the source of water is truly clean and drinkable. Our colleagues are also trying to raise awareness about hygiene and sanitary practices.
Photo: Takaful Al Sham team tests the quality of water
Life flowed into the village together with water
Kamal can access water even at work, just like other business owners in the area. „Even my work improved – before, I used to wait for the water tanker and worry about its cleanliness or running out of water altogether. Now, water is available, and everything is much better,“ he adds.
Photo: Kamal’s life improved thanks to the access to water
Kamal hopes that in the near future, he will be able to reach water twice or three times a week. He believes this project to be one of the most meaningful activities that has attempted to enhance living conditions in the area in the past years.
The return of water into the village cannot be viewed only as an engineering achievement. Owing to their own supplies, people can save both money and time that they would spend on water deliveries. Furthermore, they can rest knowing that the water is clean. This way, they do not have to worry about their physical health, which also supports their mental health.
Our team in Syria desires to implement the project into other villages that also need their own source of water.
Caritas Czech Republic in Syria
Apart from securing hygienic standards and supplies of drinkable water, our colleagues in Syria aim to prevent gender-based violence targeted primarily at women and girls. Last year, approximately 16.7 million people required humanitarian assistance as a result of the civil war. Therefore, we continue to monitor the situation in the country, particularly in light of the recent escalation of violence in southern Syria.
In 2023, we helped managed the consequences of the devastating earthquake. We distributed food and water, provided temporary shelters and the most essential supplies.
Globally, over 2.2 billion people lack access to safe drinking water. Caritas Czech Republic is working to address this issue in other countries, too. We are building water supply systems, repairing wells, and ensuring water deliveries to crisis-affected areas.
