Syria: 'May no more war and displacement occur in Aleppo'

By Christine Seuss and Valerio Palombaro 

After a 14-year civil war, Syria needs stability, but “things are not going well” in Aleppo, according to Bishop Hanna Jallouf, Vicar Apostolic of the city.

He spoke to Vatican News from the northern Syrian city, where since Tuesday intense fighting has resumed between government forces and Kurdish-majority militias called the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

“A shepherd must be with his flock in difficult times,” added the Bishop, lamenting that the situation in Aleppo seems to be going “from bad to worse.”

The provisional death toll of the hostilities is at least five people dead and dozens others injured, including civilians, while the UN estimates that over 30,000 people have already fled the city.

Bishop Jallouf mentioned a video circulating on social media that shows dead bodies lying under cars on the streets.

The Syrian army has announced a curfew in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods and ordered residents of several Kurdish-dominated areas to evacuate their homes in anticipation of attacks against the SDF.

Helping those who have been displaced

“Yesterday, two humanitarian corridors were opened to let people pass until three and a half in the afternoon,” Bishop Jallouf said. “We as Christians have set up three places to accommodate the displaced, two in the Latin bishopric (one at the Holy Land college; the other in the Church of the Annunciation).”

The Syriac Orthodox also opened one in their bishopric, while Muslims opened four mosques.

“Nearly 3,500 people have already been taken in, while others have found shelter in some private homes or somewhere else," he said. “In addition to offering a safe haven, we provided them with blankets and essential goods."

“Let us hope that the Lord will give us strength, courage, and peace,” said Bishop Jallouf, expressing his hopes for long-term stability after 14 years of war.

“We have already suffered enough," concluded the Bishop. "Let there be no more blood or fear. There are already 11 million Syrians living abroad: there should be no more displacements."