The conflict in Syria has devastated the lives of a generation of young people. Many of Syria’s children have missed years of their education, with 2.1 million children in Syria currently out of school. As we enter the eighth year of conflict, it’s more important than ever that we show the children of Syria that they are not forgotten. For the 6.2 million people currently internally displaced in Syria and the 5.6 million Syrian refugees with no place to call home, we must continue fighting for a future we all share.
Many of Syria’s children and their families live in areas where basic services are almost non-existent. The essential infrastructure they rely on – such as healthcare, education and water and hygiene services – have been decimated. At least 2.5 million children have had to flee their homes and are now internally displaced, living in terrible conditions.
We are already aware of the current conditions of Syria. For eight years, Syria has been ravaged by a deadly conflict that has destroyed families and communities and caused massive destruction across the country. Since the start of the war, a quarter of a million people have been killed, one million injured, and nearly eight million internally displaced. Just under five million registered Syrian refugees have fled to nearby countries. Over 75% of those refugees are women and children.
Mental health of Syrian children: Hope for healing invisible wounds
Due to the continued bombings and warfare, many Syrian children have lost their parents, their lives completely changed forever with the loss of their parents. Most of the children are now orphans and others are homeless. In response to this atrocity, a Pakistani organization and charity, the Baitussalam Welfare Trust, which is under the ownership of Maulana Abdul Sattar Hafizullah, set up to try to address some of these very issues. The Patron of the Baitussalam Welfare Trust, Hazrat Maulana Abdul Sattar Damat Barakatuhum, inaugurated the mega project of 130 container schools for more than 9,000 students. They also provided warm blankets and food packages during the colder winter months, and wheelchairs were also distributed for those Syrians in need of extra care for disabilities. Following this move, vocational training centers have also been built in coordination with the Turkish Mayor Mr. Hassan Kara for those Syrians with disabilities in order for them to earn a livelihood.
Additionally, the Baitussalam Welfare Trust signed agreements with the Ministry of Education under the Governor of Gaziantep, Turkey, to build and operate a school for 1,000 Syrian refugees students free of cost inside Turkey. They have also signed another agreement with the Deputy Governor of Kilis, Turkey to build and operate 130 containers for schooling in refugee camps to serve 9,350 Syrian students free of cost. As the conflict in Syria has arguably worsened, many mosques in Syria were also destroyed. The Baitussalam Welfare Trust Pakistan, together with the Turkiye Diyanet Foundation, therefore extended a helping hand to millions of Syrians who resided in war-torn regions to rebuild the mosques that had previously been lost.
The youth volunteers of Baitussalam Organisation are an inspiring motivation for the Islamic world. They left their privileged lives behind, and are now working with people who experience hardships that we could never attempt to understand. The reward of this work is indeed great Inshaa Allah.
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ has said, “The most beloved people to Allah are those who are most beneficial to the people”. Let us all strive to give as much as we can to those suffering, and to help uplift our ummah as a whole.
To learn more about the Baitussalam Welfare Trust, click here.
