The Syriac Christians in Hassakeh in urgent need

The Syrian regime continued a week ago its repeated aggression and attacks against the people of Al-Hassakah. The escalation of the violence committed by the regime demonstrated that it refuses to abide previously agreed ceasefires.

Al-Hassakah city is a multi-ethnic and multi-religious city, which is the capitol of the government of the Jazeera (aramaic: Gozarto) region in the North East of Syria. The Jazeera / Gozarto region is one of the 3 cantons of the Democratic Self-Administration, which has been established by Syriac Christians, Kurds, Arabs, Turkmen, Armenians and Chechens in 2013.

Beside Kurds and Arabs, many of the Syriac Christians, who live in Al-Hassakah region, suffer under the continuing violence. Syriac Christians in Al-Hassakah fled for ISIS and are now again confronted with violence.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) stepped in again to protect the citizens of Al-Hassakah against this violence. For the first time the Assad regime attacked the SDF and citizens of Al-Hassakah with airstrikes that lead to civilian casualties. The US airforce has intervened to stop them.

The EU and US need to increase as soon as possible their cooperation with the SDF (including the Syriac Military Council) and the Self-Administration in order to protect the people and send in much-needed aid. They need to demand that Iraqi Kurdistan ends its blockade against humanitarian aid immediately.

The Syriacs of Al-Hassakah urgently need the support of their brothers and sisters. We call to the Church in the free world not only to pray but to demand from their governments that the Syriac Christians of Al-Hassakah are protected against the regime and will receive aid. We as European Syriac Union (ESU) are prepared to work together with the Churches and NGO’s to deliver help to our brothers and sisters in need.

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