The Maltese are being invited to show destitute Syrian families they car by sponsoring a Christmas food parcel.

Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) said in a statemen that more than six years of brutal and relentless fighting has brought death and destruction to Syria and created one of the worst humanitarian crises in recent time.

Half the country's pre-war population of more than 11 million people were killed or forced to flee their homes. The war left thousands of families inside Syria destitute, struggling to survive and in need of basic necessities, including food.

Although Syria may no longer feature much in the news, its people continued to suffer. Eleven million had been forced away from their homes, desperately seeking safety - many of them children. While 6.3 million people were internally displaced, five million people lived in besieged cities and hard-to-reach areas.

ACN provided emergency relief and pastoral help for displaced families and those who lost their homes in the bombing. Its teams delivered food and other lifesaving aid in difficult and often dangerous conditions. 

For the fourth year running, ACN was providing Christmas food parcels for displaced children and their families. This year ACN it aimed to provide food for 1,500 families in Damascus and 2,347 families in Aleppo.

Maltese people wishing to sponsor a Christmas food parcel should send a cheque made out to ACN Malta, 39b, Mdina Road, Attard, ATD9038 or donate via bank transfer to APS Bank, account 2000 1771 733.