Syria

• Population: nearly 19 million people. According to UNOCHA (July 2018), 13.1 million people—nearly half of whom are children—are in need of emergency assistance. There are 5.6 million registered Syrian displaced persons in the region, nearly half of whom are children.
• Official language: Arabic
• Form of government: Unitary presidential republic under a transitional government (Ahmed al-Charaa)

The predominant religion in Syria is Sunni Islam. Christians make up about 6% of the population. The largest Catholic communities are the Greek Melkite Catholics and the Syriac Catholics. There are also Maronites, Chaldeans, and Armenians. On the Orthodox side, the Greek Orthodox community is significant.

The Armenian Apostolic Church and the Syriac Orthodox Church are also present. There is a large Armenian community living mainly in Aleppo, descended from survivors of the 1915 genocide perpetrated by the Ottomans during World War I. There were approximately 250,000 Armenians in Syria in the early 1960s; by 2010, their number had fallen to 190,000.

Finally, regarding other minorities, there are other religious communities such as the Druze (1.5%), the Yazidis, and the Jews, who make up a small portion of the population (about 1%). Source: What Demographics Tell Us About the Syrian Conflict

Syria was one of the first countries to receive aid from the Œuvre d’Orient more than 160 years ago. The deep ties we have forged with the bishops, priests, and Christian and religious communities throughout this region give us a unique perspective on the situation of civilians.

Much of Syria was destroyed during the war. L’Œuvre d’Orient is helping to rebuild structures through various types of projects, such as the reconstruction of the Maronite Cathedral in Aleppo, the rehabilitation of homes to help displaced residents return to Old Homs, and the reconstruction of the Armenian quarter in Deir ez-Zor…, as well as damaged schools and hospitals. L’Œuvre d’Orient also initiates projects that help Syrians find work. Alongside physical reconstruction, L’Œuvre d’Orient works to rebuild hearts and minds through various initiatives such as Espace du Ciel, Jdisc, and Study Zone…