Over 1,000 cats stranded in war-torn Syria have found refuge at a Syrian cat sanctuary

Many of us cannot even imagine what the worn-torn country faces daily. A group of survivors flees the area in an attempt to save their lives. However, there are those who do not have that option.

There is no shelter or food available for animals on the streets. There are others who are abused and neglected with no compassion shown for them.

The Ernestos Sanctuary is located in the Northwestern part of Syria.

There has been a civil war raging in Syria for the past ten years and this area is still suffering from it.

The war's forgotten victims are taken care of at the sanctuary. Those who were displaced by the war.

Despite the dangers, one man opened the sanctuary for the souls.

^{Photo source:}^{Ernestos Sanctuary}

The Syrian conflict forced Alaa al-Jaleel to move from the Aleppo cat sanctuary to the rebel stronghold of Idlib in 2015, where he took about 100 animals with him and reopened his facility.

Mohammad Alaa Jalee, who was formerly a paramedic and an ambulance driver, is now known as "The Cat Man of Aleppo".

^{Photo source:}^{Ernestos Sanctuary}

A cat sanctuary named after the Italian women who helped set it up before it moved to another location, the expanded and fenced-in enclosure covers 21,000 square feet of the city, located near the Turkish border and still held by opposition forces.

The true heart of his being is his love for animals. It goes on and on, whether it is feline, canine, or equine.

He has rebuilt his sanctuaries from the ground up after his original ones were destroyed by bombs in November 2016.

^{Photo source:}^{Ernestos Sanctuary}

At Ernesto's Sanctuary, his successors now care for more than 1,000 cats, and mealtimes can be chaotic and loud.

"Many animals have been injured during wartime or because their owners left them behind when they fled their homes. We provided the cats with food, shelter, and medical care," the organization's manager, Mohamad Wattar, said.

^{Photo source:}^{Ernestos Sanctuary}

It is estimated that around 30 cats are treated daily by veterinarians at the sanctuary, which is still located in a war zone. Some of the cats are pregnant, but others are ill.

^{Photo source:}^{Ernestos Sanctuary}

Idlib manager Mohamad Wattar plays with cats at Ernesto's Sanctuary for cats and is surrounded by a fence, he said.

^{Photo source:}^{Ernestos Sanctuary}

He added, "It has several sections; a medical isolation ward, a new mother's ward, and a section for healthy cats. We provide them with food, shelter, and medical care."