Syrian Catholic Archbishop Jacques Behnan Hindo of Hassaké-Nisibi has been forced to abandon Hassaké, along with the remnant Christian community, after Islamic State entered the Eastern Syrian city on 25 June.
At least 120,000 people escaped, including around 4,000 Christian families belonging to various Churches - Chaldeans, Assyrians, Syrian Catholics and Syrian Orthodox.
They followed tens of thousands of Christians who have already fled over the past two years. Most have taken refuge in Qamishli, a city on the border with Turkey, close to Iraq. Humanitarian aid is being distributed in Qamishli’s makeshift camps by Caritas Syria.
On Saturday 27 June the Patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox Church, Ignatius Aphrem II, entreated young Assyrians to return to Hassaké to defend it.
Addressing refugees in Qamishli he said: "We do not need to listen to ISIS and other extremists who try to scare us. Their goal is to instill fear within us at the mere sound of their name. We should never be afraid due to the reason of bloodshed. We should always be ready to defend ourselves and our lands."
He went on to pray that the Syrian army would be able to protect them, but added "when we see our youth carrying weapons and protecting our homes and lands, we give them our blessing and do not question their actions. We continually ask God to bless and protect them."
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