Fr. Tony O’Riordan, SJ, (middle, in blue shirt), discusses the work of Jesuit Refugee Service in Syria, where he worked as director for three years. Photo: Juan Emilio Hernandez/CJI
Fr. Tony O’Riordan, SJ, the former director of Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) in Syria, has urged us to remember those who continue to suffer in forgotten conflicts around the world, such as in South Sudan and Syria.
Syrians are still grappling with political crisis, collapsed economy, and psychosocial challenges from a war that began in 2011, and was exacerbated by the 2023 earthquake, said O’ Riordan. O’Riordan met with Canadian Jesuits International (CJI) staff and visitors during a brief stop in Toronto on July 3, and discussed the work of JRS in Syria, which is being supported by CJI and other members of the Xavier Network.
Syria is fragmented by sectarian divisions, and the level of hostility has increased as the Israel-Gaza war has spilled over into parts of the country, said O’Riordan. Amid all this, “Syrians are asking, ‘What is our political future?'” he said, noting that about 10 million of the population have left Syria. “More want to leave, but the doors are now closed.”
Syria’s economic system is “broken beyond belief,” said O’Riordan, noting that as a result, more than 12 million Syrians or more than half of the population are food insecure, and many have little access to healthcare and other basic needs. He said that about five million people used to depend on the World Food Programme, but food distribution has been cut due to lack of funding.
The political, economic, and humanitarian crises are having a huge impact on children, said O’Riordan. “They are not growing at a pace that they should,” he said. About two million children are out of school to help support their families. O’Riordan recalled seeing groups of children scavenging daily through garbage bins looking for recyclable items to sell.
Syria has also seen the exodus of 28,000 doctors, 7,000 of whom are now in Germany, O’Riordan said, noting how this has contributed to the collapse of the country’s public health system.
Fr. Tony O’Riordan, SJ
The political, economic and social uncertainties have caused many Syrians, especially young people, to experience psychosocial challenges and ask existential questions, O’Riordan said. “What is the reason for living? What’s on the horizon?” For many, the future lies outside Syria, he said. They want to leave to support their families but borders now are largely closed for Syrians.
The loss of home and family has also dealt a severe blow to the psyche of Syrians, who value family and celebration, O’Riordan said.
JRS has responded to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Syria through its education, health and reconciliation projects, O’Riordan said.
Approximately 3,000 children between the ages of 8 and 17 are enrolled in a JRS non-formal education program that fills gaps in the education system, provides a safe space for children to grow and develop, and works with parents.
JRS operates 14 community health clinics throughout Aleppo, also funded by the Catholic NGO Development and Peace and the Government of Canada.
To help bring healing and reconciliation to a divided Syria, JRS provides spaces for diverse groups of people to come together and foster relationships. “Will it solve the problem? “No. But it’s an essential building block,” said O’Riordan.
O’Riordan noted that the outpouring of support after the earthquake, including contributions from Canadian donors, enabled JRS to provide immediate humanitarian assistance, including the distribution of culturally appropriate food and clothing to tens of thousands of Syrians. JRS also provided six psychosocial sessions over a six-week period and other support, some of which continues.
CJI Executive Director Jenny Cafiso, who hosted the meeting, said that in addition to loyal CJI donors, Canadians responded to the Catholic bishops’ call to donate to faith-based organizations like CJI. “People were generous and it made a big difference,” she said. CJI’s earthquake appeal raised more than $269,000.
Cafiso also noted that CJI had been supporting Syria before the earthquake through JRS education and health projects in the Middle East.
In urging people to remember wars and conflicts not on the media radar, O’Riordan noted that “Jesuits don’t just go where no one goes. We go to places that are forgotten.”
O’Riordan, who has also served as JRS South Sudan project director in Maban County, said his experience working in conflict areas “has been a learning experience” and has allowed him to “demonstrate and encounter the God of love.”
He added: “I have become a better person because of my time in South Sudan and Syria.
