Serving vulnerable Syrians

Lebanon: acting on Pope Francis’ call for inter-religious dialogue and cooperation
Beirut, 17 May 2013 – The Jesuit Refugee Service welcomed the call by Pope Francis for enhanced dialogue and cooperation between the diverse ethnic and religious communities which constitute Lebanese society. The statement, issued following a meeting between the Pope and the President of Lebanon Michel Suleiman in early May, echoes the focus of the work of the Jesuit Refugee Service in the region since 2010.

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Syria: bringing displaced families together
Beirut, 29 April 2013 – The opportunity to have a moment of peace and quiet has all but vanished in Damascus. As violence in the 4,000 year old capital escalates, accompanied by acute shortages of daily commodities, it becomes harder to enjoy the simple things in life, much less a family meal. Conscious of this, the JRS Damascus team now holds “family mornings” twice a month at the JRS St Albert Hurtado House in Bab Touma.

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Syria: a volunteer's experience with displaced families in Damascus
Damascus, 28 April 2013 – “How lovely is the meeting between a human and a human, a meeting in which we desire to show our love and feelings towards each other.”

I felt something similar to this when I met families at the JRS house in Bab Touma. Neither I nor they had known each other before, but I felt as if I had known them for a long time.

Lebanon: Syrian families flee in order to protect their children
Beirut, 25 April 2013 – The small town of Naameh lies less than 20km south of Beirut along the coastal road. Notorious for religious tensions and prone to violence between different sects, it seems an unlikely place to settle, yet it is now home to 50 Syrian families (about 300 individuals) who are taking shelter in a derelict school.

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Lebanon: keeping a special spirit alive
Beirut, 22 April 2013 - The road to the Lebanese village of Kafar Zabad is narrow, with potholes and deep puddles every couple of metres. Once a sleepy village in the Bekaa valley, close to the Syrian border, Kafar Zabad is now home to 150 Syrian families who have fled violence in their country.
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Jordan/ USA: JRS Jordan director visits US universities to raise awareness about refugees in the Middle East
USA, 15 April 2013 - Ignatian News (IN) Network met up with Colin Gilbert, the Jesuit Refugee Service Jordan Director, during his tour of US Jesuit Universities. Watch to learn more about the work JRS is doing in Jordan and the Middle East, and how JRS accompanies, serves, and walks with refugees all across the world.
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Syria: thousands displaced after upsurge in violence in Sheikh Maqsoud
Beirut, 8 April 2013 – Thousands of people living in the predominantly Kurdish neighbourhood of Sheikh Maqsoud (Aleppo) were displaced last week following a surge in violence in the northern city.
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Jordan: empowering women
Amman, 5 March 2013 – The life-skills class is packed. Up to 40 women fill the classroom and there is a lively atmosphere as Furdous, their teacher from Iraq, makes them go over the English alphabet yet again.
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Syria: encouraging internally displaced persons to be involved in emergency assistance
Damascus, 27 February 2013 – Eager to put their time and skills to good use, 20 refugee and displaced women took part in a Jesuit Refugee Service workshop, not only finding psychosocial support from the group and staff, but also producing much-needed clothing for families affected by the violence in need of emergency relief.
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