Rescue & Medical Care
North East Syria Relief Fund
- Location Syria
- Timeframe March 2018 - Present
- People Christians , Kurds , Yezidis , Arab tribes of NE Syria
- Project Goal $1,350,000
Rescue & Medical Care
The Syrian civil war, which began in 2011, has caused immense suffering for civilians, especially religious minorities. Christians, Yezidis, and other minority groups have been disproportionately affected, facing targeted attacks by Islamist militants like ISIS and other factions. Converts to Christianity from Islam are at heightened risk of violence, abductions, and execution. The war has left millions displaced and entire communities devastated.
The recent 2023 earthquakes have further compounded the crisis. Thousands of families are left without shelter, food, or medical care as infrastructure continues to collapse. In particular, over 5,000 Christian households in Al-Hassaka face extreme water shortages, while others in the region struggle to survive amidst economic collapse, ruined infrastructure, and constant violence. These minorities, vulnerable to persecution and terrorism, continue to face systemic hardship, including forced displacement and lack of access to essential resources like clean water and food.
The Shai Fund is responding with a multi-faceted humanitarian aid to address immediate and long-term needs, enabling ethnic and religious minorities to remain in their homelands. Our initiatives include providing emergency medical care, distributing food and water, and supporting displaced families with temporary housing and essential supplies. We are working with local partners to offer trauma recovery services and rebuild livelihoods through vocational training and business support.
Shai Fund is currently implementing humanitarian projects throughout North East Syria in response to the effects of the ongoing conflict and the aftermath of the earthquake in 2023.
Agriculture Project (July 2024 – June 2025) This project enhances the resilience of 25 Christian families in Gersheran and Rutan by improving agricultural practices. It includes providing seeds, solar panels, and plowing machinery. A solar-powered irrigation system and a cooperative for managing resources aim to improve crop yields and economic conditions.
Livelihood Project (July 2024 – August 2024) Focused on rebuilding businesses in Syria affected by the February 2023 earthquake, this project supports 15 Christian families by restoring and establishing businesses in various locations. The project is revitalising local economies, creating job opportunities, and empowering communities through business training and support.
Projects like our bakery in N.E. Syrian trains and supports women to not only source local ingredients, bake and sell breads, but to learn about co-operatives and manage business operations, and ultimately own their own bakery, which brings food security to the community and enriches the local economy. It empowers women with lasting and transferable business, baking, and life skills and creates community access to food security through nutritious, affordable breads. (This project was made possible by a donation from Freistaat Bayern, Germany).
Therapy Project (August 2024 – June 2025) This initiative provides art therapy to 90 Christian children in Aleppo, helping them process trauma from the earthquake and ongoing conflict. The project offers a secure space for creative expression and emotional healing through art, with sessions held at the Syriac-Orthodox Church Mar Afram.
Emergency Medical Clinic (2023 – present) Established in al-Qahtaniya, this clinic provides essential medical services to over 17,000 residents, including Christians, Yazidis, Kurds, and Arabs. The clinic equipped with an ambulance offers internal medicine, pediatrics, gynecology, and emergency care, serving as a crucial healthcare resource in a conflict-affected region.
Shai Fund has been active in Syria distributing vital food security and humanitarian relief aid since 2015. Our response to urgent needs includes delivering food and medical equipment, and distributing emergency supplies and hygiene kits to affected communities. Our team continues to support the people of North East Syria with emergency relief and ongoing advocacy to raise awareness about the situation.
Relief Aid Distribution (2018) The Shai Fund team assisted 1,211 people in Syria with food, clothing, blankets, medical assistance. This also included providing a family friendly space with a children’s playground.
Earthquake Aid Distribution (April- May 2023) Food parcels and hygiene kits were distributed to vulnerable families in North East Syria and Aleppo. We provided 300 food parcels and hygiene kits in Al-Hassaka, supporting 600 families. Additionally, we aided 560 Christian families in Aleppo with food and essential supplies, part of a broader relief effort totaling USD 30,000 for immediate needs and USD 40,000 for livelihoods development.
Water Distribution (Jan 2024 – July 2024) To address the severe water crisis affecting communities and agriculture in Al-Hassaka, we set up clean water distribution from wells in the Khabur Valley. Over six months, 10.7 million liters of water was delivered using four water tank trucks. This project provided sustainable water access by investing in solar panels for the wells and establishing a self-sustaining model for water distribution.
Over 5,000 Christian households in NE Syria face extreme water shortages, while others in the region struggle to survive amidst economic collapse, ruined infrastructure, and constant violence. These minorities, vulnerable to persecution and terrorism, continue to face systemic hardship, including forced displacement and lack of access to essential resources like clean water and food.
Shai Fund is responding with multi-faceted humanitarian aid to address immediate and long-term needs, enabling ethnic and religious minorities to remain in their homelands.
Your support of our efforts in Syria will enable vital medical and humanitarian aid to reach Christian communities, allowing them to remain in their homelands.
