Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Aleppo (Agenzia Fides) - "The atmosphere is very tense. This morning at 10 armed rebel groups entered the neighborhood of Sheik Maqsoud, in Aleppo, home to many Kurds and Christians and there is intense fighting. In our Christian area in Suleimanye I counted 18 loud explosions. Groups of rebels entered in other Christian areas such as Jabrie and therefore life for the civilian population, in the crossfire, is in serious danger ": this is the dramatic testimony reported to Fides by Fr. Jules Baghdassarians, Greek-Catholic priest in Aleppo and National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) in Syria, as opposition forces announced the beginning of the "final battle in Aleppo."
Fr. Baghdassarians explains to Fides: "Innocent civilians continue to die: yesterday an Armenian Christian mother and her 6 year old daughter were killed, while the father is seriously injured in hospital. Few days ago we counted 15 victims in our Greek-Catholic community. we have not had any electricity for two days: this is a consequence of the fighting. Armed groups hide in buildings: the population is terrorized," says the priest.
In this tragic situation, "there is a real humanitarian emergency: thousands of refugees are crowded into schools and Christian priests of all denominations take care of them, they bring food and give assistance. Christians are mobilized mainly for humanitarian work, bringing aid to the refugees who are mostly Muslim families "
The National Director launches an urgent appeal: "We ask the world a jolt of consciousness: stop the war, stop the trade in arms, grant us peace. As the Pope said, the only possible way to put an end to bloodbath in Syria is reconciliation." (PA) (Agenzia Fides 28/09/2012)
