Levantine National Council Launches Aid Initiative for Suwayda IDPs

KHABAB, Syria — In a swift response to the escalating violence in Syria’s Suwayda province, the Levantine National Council (LNC) announced the delivery of emergency aid to a newly established shelter in the Christian town of Khabab. The center was set up to receive Christian families displaced by ongoing unrest in the Druze-majority region. 

The initiative, carried out in collaboration with the Syriac Cross organization and the Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Bosra, Hauran, and Jabal al-Arab, includes the provision of basic food and medical supplies. Organizers say the effort aims to alleviate the hardships of displacement and offer immediate humanitarian relief. 

“We received heartbreaking reports from Suwayda about what our Christian brothers and sisters are enduring due to the violence,” said Dr. Waddah Khoury, President of the Levantine National Council, in an interview. “Together with the local Archeparchy and in coordination with Father Yazan Al-Akka, the episcopal vicar, along with Father Samer Matar and Father Manar, we took on the responsibility of standing by our people in this time of need.” 

Dr. Khoury added: “We pray that this crisis passes quickly, and that peace and stability are restored to Suwayda and all of Syria.” 

The initiative comes at a tense moment for Suwayda, which has witnessed a surge in armed clashes, displacing dozens of families. Many have sought safety in neighboring regions, including Khabab, a southern Christian town historically and spiritually linked to Suwayda as the episcopal center for the wider southern region. 

The Levantine National Council, composed of prominent Eastern Christian figures and civic leaders, has previously launched several humanitarian campaigns throughout the conflict. The council views its mission as a reflection of shared citizenship, solidarity, and cultural identity in Syria. 

Inside the church halls and shelter rooms in Khabab, gratitude was evident on the faces of newly arrived families. Many described the effort as a rare source of hope in a landscape increasingly defined by displacement, uncertainty, and fear.