Canadian Jesuits International

FAMILY SUPPORT IN DAMASCUS, SYRIA

Canadian Jesuits International supports the work of Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) in Syria, where the scale, severity and complexity of needs remain extremely challenging.

Across the country, a large number of schools have been damaged or destroyed. Enrollment rates have been drastically reduced and existing schools are so overcrowded that displaced children are often unable to enroll in them. In addition, children face major risks of violence and exploitation in society. There have been significant increases in child marriage, child labour and child soldiers. Many young people have experienced severe physical and psychological trauma.

In Damascus, JRS began emergency services for internally displaced people in the summer of 2011. Now, over seven years later, JRS teams are increasingly devoting resources to the social and psychological needs of children and their families as well as to educational programs for illiterate children and children who have dropped out of school. The Family Support in Damascus program encompasses these educational and psychosocial activities.