A local nun in the war-torn city of Nebek in Syria is working to find housing for Christian families who were displaced by fierce fighting between jihadists and government forces in December.

Sister Houda Fadoul told Aid to the Church in Need that some 90 houses belonging to Christian families were destroyed in the fighting during Advent. She said that the jihadists brought their forces down hard on the Christian community in Nebek thinking that they would be spared if they attacked Christians, but the government forces were unswayed.

"The Christian district lies unprotected on a hill. And so the Christian houses were hit especially hard. The people hid for weeks in cellars," Sister Foudal said.

Sister Foudal is currently caring for a flock of 120 families of 500 people in Nebek, and is the head of a religious women's congregation based in the city.

She told Aid to the Church in Need that there is a feeling of fear prevalent in the community despite the lull in attacks.

"[T]he jihadists are not far away. We Christians are scared of them," she said, and added that the Muslims are also in fear of the jihadists because of the scale of their atrocities.

Nevertheless, she stated that it is her priority to find housing for the Christians who lost their homes in the fighting in Nebek. She called upon the international community to help in restoring the houses of these people, because they don't want to leave the city despite their situation.

"These people are now living in emergency housing. They have lost everything. They urgently need mattresses, gas stoves, blankets and a host of household items," the sister explained.  "Many families either don't have a flat at all anymore, or the ones they have are uninhabitable. We must help these people."