Syria’s Christians Suffer As Thousands Flee Clashes; Several Killed

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

ALEPPO, SYRIA (Worthy News) – There was mounting concern Thursday about the plight of Christians still staying in war-torn Syria after fighting escalated in the northern city of Aleppo, killing several people and prompting tens of thousands to flee their homes.

Syrian authorities warned civilians to leave a contested area in Aleppo on Thursday and opened a corridor for them to evacuate for a second day as clashes continued between government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

“Fighting between Kurdish forces and the Syrian army has escalated. Neighborhoods are being shelled. People are fleeing, often with nothing,” said Christian charity and advocacy group Open Doors.

“Christians from the Kurdish neighborhoods of Aleppo have also been forced to leave their homes. Some have fled to family, others have found shelter in churches in safer areas,” the group added.

“Most came with nothing at all,” Open Doors quoted a local partner as saying. “A local Open Doors partner is helping one of these churches with financial support for food and blankets.” The group urged supporters to pray “for the violence to stop, for protection of civilians and Christians in Aleppo, and for peace and wisdom for all parties involved.”

Footage obtained by Worthy News appeared to show an exodus of people on foot leaving the area.

GOVERNMENT DEADLINE TO FLEE

On Thursday, the government of Aleppo province gave residents until 1 p.m. local time to evacuate in coordination with the army. State news agency SANA, citing the military, said forces would begin “targeted operations” against the SDF in the neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud, Achrafieh, and Bani Zaid shortly after the deadline.

Witnesses reported sporadic shelling as civilians streamed out of the area. As of Wednesday, more than 46,000 people had been displaced across the province, according to Aleppo’s Directorate of Social Affairs and Labor.

The SDF said at least eight civilians were killed in Kurdish-majority neighborhoods, while government officials reported at least five civilians and one soldier were killed in surrounding government-controlled areas. Dozens more were reportedly wounded.

The latest violence is linked to unresolved tensions between Damascus and Kurdish-led forces over control, governance, and security in parts of northern Syria.

Efforts to integrate Kurdish forces into the Syrian state security framework have stalled, while the government has sought to reassert full control over areas that remained semi-autonomous since earlier phases of the civil war.

Analysts say Aleppo’s Kurdish-held districts have become flashpoints because of their strategic location inside government-controlled territory, making them particularly vulnerable when negotiations collapse.

IMPACT ON CHRISTIANS

Christian aid workers warn the fighting is especially dangerous for Christians, who form a small and vulnerable minority often caught between rival forces.

Churches and Christian homes are concentrated near contested neighborhoods, and renewed shelling revives traumatic memories for local Christians who were targeted by Islamic extremists, displaced en masse, or forced to flee abroad.

Aid workers say repeated displacement is exhausting families’ ability to cope and threatens the long-term survival of already dwindling Christian communities in the city and the country.

Before Syria’s civil war erupted in 2011, the country was home to an estimated 1.5 million Christians. Today, church sources and humanitarian groups estimate that hundreds of thousands of Christians remain.

Many have fled to Lebanon, Europe, or North America, while those who stayed face ongoing insecurity, economic collapse, and renewed outbreaks of violence such as the fighting now unfolding in Aleppo.

The Open Doors World Watch List for 2025, Syria ranks among the world’s top 20 most dangerous countries for Christians, reflecting ongoing violence, instability, and pressure on religious minorities.

SEVERE PERSECUTION REPORTED

Open Doors says Christians in Syria face severe persecution driven by war, Islamic extremism, lawlessness, and societal hostility, particularly in areas affected by renewed fighting.

Initially, the fall of the Islamic State group reduced large-scale atrocities in several areas of Syria, but Christians remain vulnerable to displacement, intimidation, and targeted attacks by other extremists amid shifting frontlines, observers say.

Advocacy groups warn that any new outbreak of violence—such as the clashes in Aleppo—disproportionately impacts Christians, many of whom lack the means to flee again after more than a decade of war.

After the ouster of autocratic President Bashar al-Assad in late 2024, Syria’s political leadership has shifted.

The country’s current leader, Ahmed al‑Sharaa, who took office as interim president after Assad’s downfall, worked to establish a transitional government and restore international relations.

Al-Sharaa, once a commander associated with Islamist factions, has sought broader legitimacy by engaging diplomatically with world leaders, including talking with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington.

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