The Trump administration announced new humanitarian aid this week for Southern Syria, directing relief to Christian, Druze, and Bedouin communities that have faced years of violence and displacement amid the country’s ongoing instability.
According to an Oct. 27 State Department press release, the U.S. is providing food, clean water, and hygiene supplies for roughly 60,000 people in Suwayda. The aid will also help rebuild damaged housing and repair water infrastructure as displaced families begin returning to their homes.
“While hostilities have largely subsided, the security situation remains unpredictable,” the State Department said, adding that instability has disrupted the delivery of essential supplies and prevented roughly 187,000 displaced Syrians from returning home.
The new U.S. assistance is designed to stabilize the region and address “critical needs for families displaced in emergency shelters and within host communities,” the statement said.
The political transition after the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024 has led to dangerous attacks on Christians and other religious communities, as CatholicVote has reported. In June, a bombing at a Greek Orthodox Church in Damascus killed at least 25 people and wounded more than 60 who were gathered for the Sunday liturgy.
The following month, George Ishoh, a Christian father and goldsmith, was fatally shot after reportedly refusing to pay an armed gang. Also in July, unidentified assailants allegedly set fire to the Greek Melkite Church of St. Michael in southern Syria and separately destroyed 38 Christian homes and displaced about 70 people, CatholicVote reported.
Church leaders and international bodies have repeatedly condemned the targeting of religious minorities and called for stronger protection. The European Parliament adopted an Urgency Resolution in July urging immediate measures to safeguard Christians and other at-risk groups. Earlier this year, the patriarchs of Syria’s largest Christian communities issued a joint statement calling for international action to ensure their safety.
