2017-03-16 11:07:00

Calls for world leaders to act on conflict in Syria


(Vatican Radio) It is now been six years since the start of a brutal civil war that has engulfed Syria. The ongoing conflict has forced  thousands of people to flee and has left countless others who have remained trapped in besieged areas throughout the country.

Within Syria the charity Christian Aid is supporting partners provide hot meals to people recently displaced by the bombing of towns north east of the capital Damascus.

Máiréad Collins, Advocacy Officer for Syria with the organisation told Lydia O’Kane they are calling on world leaders to act now and bring to an end the suffering of the people there.

Listen: 

“What are partners said to us the other day was that these people are no longer thinking in terms of politics and the outcome, all they want at this stage is the opportunity to live and not to die”, she said.

Ms Collins added, “there is a constant humanitarian crisis ongoing and it is not being recognised for what it is and rather than people thinking about the various military and militants and armed factions fighting that this is the real impact on the ground.”

For next month’s conference in Brussels, Supporting The Future Of Syria And The Region, Christian Aid hopes that this will bring solid action to guarantee an end to sieges, an end to attacks on civilians, unhindered humanitarian access and keeps humanitarian protection at the heart of decision making about the future of Syria.

The Advocacy Officer notes that there are so many parties to this conflict and it is a war that has been fought out with so many international actors having an interest in it. But she stresses that there is still time for people to act and the upcoming Brussels conference allows that possibility.

According to the United Nations 13.5 million people in Syria require humanitarian assistance, including 4.6 million people in need trapped in besieged and hard-to-reach areas.

 








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