As the conflict in Syria rages on, one hospital is experiencing total collapse due to the escalating violence. The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (The Fellowship) recently received an urgent request for aid from Al-Suwayda National Hospital, which has been forced to halt essential medical services. This shutdown stems from a complete depletion of medical supplies, widespread electrical power outages, failure of backup generators, and a collapse of the medical teams’ capacity to handle critical cases or perform surgeries. Compounding the crisis, the power outage has disabled the morgue’s refrigeration systems – causing the decomposition of corpses within the facility.
One doctor at the hospital shared a harrowing account: “People are dying here now, and corpses decompose before our eyes… These patients bear no guilt for being born in a warzone. Our collective failure is inaction toward conflict resolution. We appeal to the global conscience: Help us before this hospital becomes a mass grave.”
The Fellowship answered their call with an emergency grant of $150,000. With the help of the Israeli Army, critical medical equipment and life-saving supplies are being delivered by helicopter this week to the hospital, which serves a mostly Druze population.
“The Fellowship exists to be a light in the darkest places – and Al-Suwayda Hospital is one of those places. We act, believing that every life is sacred, and every person deserves dignity, even in the midst of war,” said Yael Eckstein, President and Global CEO of The Fellowship. “The Fellowship isn’t just a humanitarian organization; it’s a moral voice. And in this moment, that voice says: We will not look away.”
Building bridges across faiths
This isn’t the first time The Fellowship has worked with the IDF to deliver aid to the Druze and Christian communities in Syria.
In an area near the Israeli border on the Syrian side of Mount Hermon, about 13 Druze villages with nearly 45,000 residents, both Druze and Christians, live under poor conditions. These two groups of people have been persecuted in Syria throughout history, but in recent months, it’s escalated.
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Late last month, amid horrific attacks from Iran, The Fellowship, with the help of the Jewish Federation of Chicago, put into action a plan it had been working on for months in partnership with the IDF to get aid to Druze and Christian communities in Syria.
The Fellowship delivered medical equipment to establish a new regional emergency medical field clinic in one of the Druze-Christian villages located in the buffer zone currently under IDF control.
With a donation of $100,000 from the Jewish Federation of Chicago and $150,000 from The Fellowship, medical equipment valued at $250,000 was delivered, including supplies for routine and emergency treatment, medical devices, and X-ray and ultrasound machines.
The new clinic will provide medical assistance to the residents and refugees of the villages in the area. Christian and Druze professional medical staff will operate the clinic, serving up to 100 patients daily. The project is in full coordination with the IDF.
Just two months ago, The Fellowship transferred $120,000 worth of food and medical supplies into the region to support these two groups.
From The Fellowship’s extensive knowledge and passion for providing humanitarian aid, to the deep spiritual importance of people coming together to help Christians and Druze in this time of need, this work and the people who support it personify what it means to align with God’s plan, bless His people, and be blessed in return.
To learn more about the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, click here.
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