Pope’s appeal as refugees flee Aleppo

Only a political solution can bring peace to Syria, Pope Francis told the crowds gathered for last Sunday’s Angelus during an impassioned appeal to the international community to work for a negotiated settlement.

He spoke as peace talks in Geneva were last week suspended until 25 February and tens of thousands of refugees were on the Turkish border after fleeing fierce fighting north of Aleppo.

“With great concern, I am following the tragic fate of civilians caught up in violent battles in beloved Syria and forced to abandon everything to flee the horrors of war,” said the Pope. He called on the international community  “to not spare any effort in urgently bringing the parties concerned to the negotiating table”.

Meanwhile Caritas Germany was among 42 humanitarian organisations that supported a paper by the Lutheran World Federation on the urgent plight of Syrian refugees. It identified lack of education, protection and assistance with livelihoods as the most pressing needs.

“Warring parties continue to violate UN Security Council resolutions and international humanitarian law by deliberately and wantonly attacking civilians and civilian infrastructure, including homes, markets, schools and hospitals,” said the federation, whose paper was published on 4 February to coincide with a meeting in London attended by world leaders to raise money for Syrian refugees.

A study by Caritas Lebanon Migrants Center on Syrian children in refugee camps found that the crisis has had a severe effect on their mental health. More than 1.2 million Syrians have gone to Lebanon since the start of the civil war in their country in 2011.

“Even though they have played no part in this conflict, children are paying the highest price,” said Fr Paul Karam, president of Caritas Lebanon.