A nation’s trauma: an update on Syria through the eyes of a believer

Juliette reflects on the changes that have occurred in Syria over the past ten months since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime. Please continue to pray for brothers and sisters in this fragmented nation.

We hear again from Juliette*, a Christian woman from Syria whose updates we have had the privilege of receiving over the past year. She reflects on how Syria has developed amidst its crises and traumas and the needs of the church today. This article presents her perspective on her home.

It’s a constant challenge to keep up with the changes in Syria. I always feel like I’m in a race that never ends. It’s been ten months since Syria began this new phase of life.

I’m grateful that my city, Aleppo, has seen some improvement in services. We now have a scheduled electrical power supply for eight hours a day, which offers a sense of stability and allows us to organise our lives better. Goods are also more readily available and easier to access, and new places are always being rehabilitated around the cities.

The stubborn pace of change

However, change is a slow process, and while we hope for more improvement, many critical issues persist. The cash crisis remains unresolved, with banks still unable to provide people access to their own money. Individuals can only withdraw an equivalent of about 20 US dollars (£15) per week and you barely live with this amount of money.

There’s also been a noticeable cultural revival. We now have more seminars focused on Syrian culture, and the beautiful thing about them is that there is always a section dedicated to the Christian history in this country, with participation from Christian folk groups actively helping revive heritage. It’s always a beautiful sight to see.

• Threatening messages left at two churches in Syria

A nation divided

The conflict between different parties – such as the Kurdish groups in the north and the Druze community in the south, and the governmental authority – remains unsolved.

In south Syria, the area around Druze majority Suwayda, the situation remains tense and unstable. The area is out of government control, remaining under Druze authority. Four months into the conflict, the road from Damascus to Suwayda is still not safe. Highway robbers or armed groups sometimes shoot at passing buses or cars, causing the road to close and leaving people anxious over losses. Consequently, a number of Christians have moved to Damascus to find safety. Last week, a bus was shot at on that highway, with two people killed and 11 wounded.

In north Syria, in areas controlled by Kurds, the Kurdish authorities had closed Christian schools and forced all others to teach the Kurdish curriculum in the Kurdish language. After extensive negotiation, the authorities allowed church schools to return to teaching the Syrian curriculum. All Christian denominations agreed and published a statement on 2 November announcing that church schools reopened their doors for students for the academic year 2025/2026.

The statement finished with a plea: “We pray that God will inspire everyone to do what is best for people and to bring security and peace in all around Syria,” expressing a wish that all parties abide by peace agreements and that Syria may be united once again.

The situation in the south and north east leaves the people in worry; they all live with the constant alertness that any sectarian conflict could erupt suddenly.

Reopening old wounds

This fear became a reality on 6 October in Aleppo as well. A dispute flared up between the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces and the new government, leading to exchanges of gunfire and shells. For two days, all residents were forced to stay home because the streets were no longer safe.

All work stopped and shops closed. Our local partner had to cancel a Bible competition. Just before the violence erupted, groups of teenagers and university students had travelled to Aleppo to participate in the event. All the teams had to rush back to their cities the next day, after spending a night full of fear, far from home and without their families.

Though I never left Aleppo throughout the war years, I felt I had started to forget those days of war. A small conflict like this, however, instantly brought back the hard days and memory of losing friends and family members, and the terrifying thought that we might live under siege again. I went to sleep with tears in my eyes, waiting for the morning and praying that something would change.

“We know that God holds the rudder of our lives”

During one of the Sunday masses after the recent violence, the priest said, “We in Aleppo all share a hard life experience of long war days and siege, but we are the children of faith. We know that God holds the rudder of our lives.” His words brought us a sense of peace.

Pray that all Syrians will soon live in peace and that God’s hand will always protect them, and that they find their way to build their country again in peace.

*Name changed for security reasons