(ANS - Madrid) - The Salesian NGO Jóvenes y Desarrollo have launched a campaign "SOS SYRIA - Solidarity with the Syrians trapped in war" in order to raise funds for the purchase and delivery of humanitarian aid to those affected by war and religious persecution in Syria and specifically for Christian and Muslim families who are taking refuge in the Salesian Houses in Aleppo, Damascus and Kafroun and who are in need of medicines, drinking water, electricity, food, fuel for cooking and school supplies.

The advance of the fundamentalists in the East is causing the destruction of churches and the persecution of the Christian population in the area. During the past summer months Fr Munir El Rai, Salesian Provincial of the Middle East, despite the grave danger, visited the country to see for himself the situation of the three Salesian Houses. He wrote about the terrible situation, especially in Aleppo, a city "which had a wide presence of various Christian rites and churches and has seen a continuous decline of that presence, which is now reduced to about two-thirds."

Fundamentalist violence has had tragic consequences for Christians in the country, as Fr Munir has said very clearly: "The haemorrhage of Christians is due to the extension of the conflict, the socio-economic situation and high cost of living, the scarcity of job opportunities and basic necessities, and also the destruction of Christian neighbourhoods." Many churches, ancient and important in terms of art and culture, have been damaged or destroyed; "All this has increased rapidly the massive exodus of Christians from the city," the Provincial laments.

The civil war has lasted for more than four years in Syria. It is far from ceasing and continues to make the situation unbearable for millions of people. Of the 23 million inhabitants of the country, 13 million are directly affected: more than 300,000 have died, half a million are prisoners or are missing, half a million injured. There are four million exiles and eight million internally displaced persons. Manuel de Castro, President of the NGO has made an appeal "not to forget the Syrians who still remain in Syria and those who cannot or do not want to leave their country, and who live in a situation of persecution and extreme necessity".

More information is available on the website of Jóvenes y Desarrollo in Madrid.

Published 18/09/2015