March marks the ten-year anniversary of the Syrian Uprising. Beginning in 2011, as part of the Arab Spring protests that spread across the Middle East and North Africa region, the Syrian Uprising quickly gave way to violence and bloodshed instigated initially by the regime’s brutal suppression of the protests. This led to an all-out civil war, fuelled by an influx of foreign fighters and third parties taking sides in the conflict, often in pursuit of their own interests.    

The Syrian war has proved to be one of the most violent conflicts in recent times. More than 370,000 people have been killed and millions displaced. Sadly, as we mark this grim anniversary, the situation for displaced Syrians shows no signs of improving, with many still unable to return home.  

Indeed, in Lebanon today, approximately one in four people is a Syrian refugee. As the Lebanese economic crisis worsens, the number of Syrian refugee households living in extreme poverty has jumped from 55% to 90%.  

In Syria itself, our partners are working to help Syrians rebuild their lives by providing vital access to medical care, trauma counselling and child-friendly spaces for children who have only ever known war.  

Our partners tell us, ‘before, there were bombings everywhere, but we could put food on the table. Now, it is somehow safer, but people are starving.’   

Despite these many difficulties, our partners continue to support families in need, sustained by their vision and faith. Our partner MERATH shared with us the following: 

‘If God wasn’t with us, we would be utterly devastated. But we have a living hope in God and that is what encourages us and lifts our spirit. We continue our ministry because we know God is on our side and He is blessing our work. We believe He has a purpose in bringing all these people to our door.’ 

As we mark this anniversary, we ask that you pray for Syrian families living in desperate conditions, and for our partners as they continue to serve these vulnerable communities.   

Thank you to our partner MERATH for providing us with this information. To find out more about the ongoing refugee crisis in Lebanon, please check out their blog.