Emergency in Khabab in southern Syria

Around 20 July 2025, the southern region of Syria was the scene of violent clashes between Druze and Bedouin militias, in which Syrian security forces and the Israeli army also intervened. According to data from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (a UK-based NGO that has been monitoring events in the country for years and is considered reliable), more than a thousand people, including militiamen and civilians were killed. Since the government had blocked journalists’ access to the region in the previous days, it is difficult to know exactly how events unfolded, but the Sisters of Charity of St. Jeanne Antide Thouret, who live in Khabab, are doing all they can to help those who managed to flee the area of clashes and find shelter after a long and painful odyssey. Below are the painful words of Sr. Mona, who cries out for help so that she can continue to assist these suffering people. Dear friends, In Syria, the humanitarian situation in the south of the country has worsened following violent clashes in the city of Soueida, which have caused thousands of deaths, injuries and displaced persons. To date, the city remains under siege and suffers from severe shortages at all levels. We, the Sisters of Charity, have our community in Khabab, in the Hauran region of southern Syria. Following the events of 20 July 2025, the village has currently taken in around a hundred refugees from various villages in the region, including 40 families: elderly people, children and adults who have left their homes without taking anything with them, not even their official documents… maybe thinking that they would soon return? The hall of the parish church of Saint Rita has been transformed into a shelter. Dozens of mattresses have been laid out on the floor among bags of clothes and the few belongings that these people were able to take with them before fleeing their homes. These people have suffered greatly from what they have seen, from the violence and terror they have experienced… Some of them, in 20 days, had to move several times to different shelters in search of a safe place before arriving in Khabab. Fortunately, the inhabitants of Khabab and the neighbouring villages support them as best they can, both morally and materially… Kindness and solidarity are always present in the human heart, thank God…

Despite their poverty, they find ways to share something with these people who have left their homes and know that they will never be able to return as their houses have been looted and burnt down … even demolished with bulldozers… Mrs Amal, a 75-year-old woman, lived alone, but on 20 July her daughter visited her with her whole family and shortly afterwards they all found themselves under bombardment and gunfire from all sides: war had broken out. “We all fled without understanding what was happening and sought refuge in the nearby village… The next day, we hoped to be able to return to our homes. But it was no use. We, the women and children, were asked to leave for another village further away, and so it went on for 20 days, until we arrived here in Khabab.” “My name is Hoda, I am married and I had two children, one of whom died. I only found out that I am pregnant in this reception centre, in your home in Khabab. It is a sign, a glimmer of hope in this chaos that we have experienced and are still experiencing. I had to flee with my children without my husband… The men stayed behind to protect our homes. But unfortunately, everything was burned and destroyed. We lost everything, everything. I wasn’t even able to save the photo of my child who died. All our memories were stolen in the blink of an eye. My 4-year-old child asks me where his teddy bear is, why I won’t give it back to him… Thanks to the great kindness of the parish priest, the nuns and the people of Khabab, who with a simple gesture were able to bring smiles back to our children’s faces and ours, celebrating the birthdays of two children… Yes, even in the midst of suffering, the Lord makes himself present through our brothers and sisters in humanity. “Initially, we found refuge in the church, but the conditions were very precarious. We were crammed together, without food or water, etc. After staying in three reception centres, here we are in Khabab. How long will we stay here? How can we live and think about the future? We no longer have a home, or documents, or… Our faith in God is strong, but right now it is a struggle to remain steadfast in Him and continue to hope… The joy and vitality of the children help us to keep going and to want to live… But we also carry this great burden: finding food, a place to stay, going to school, simply living.” Among the refugees there are many elderly people who need care, medicine…

Sister Mona Dhem

Sisters of Charity AJ– Khabab