Jesuit Refugee Services appeal to end hostilities in Syria

By Vatican News

Jesuit Refugee Services (JRS) has been responding to the emergency crisis in and around Syria since 2011. It has witnessed firsthand the extent of the suffering of the forcibly displaced people there. 

Sadness

In a statement published on their website on 15 March, JRS marks, “with sadness”, the ninth anniversary of the conflict in Syria, and calls for “the immediate suspension of hostilities and the protection of civilians”.

Commitment

“We remain committed to our mission to accompany those who have been displaced by this conflict in Syria and in the surrounding countries”, reads the statement. “We continue to accompany the displaced people of this region with programmes in education, psycho-social support, livelihoods training, and emergency aid”.

Concern

Jesuit Refugee Services says it is “deeply concerned by the initiation of new hostilities in Syria and the human impact this will have”. It is urging policymakers to “consider the impact of decisions upon the people of Syria who have already endured protracted suffering”. Additional violence and displacement, continues the statement, “do not serve the long-term good of Syria or the region”.

Invitation

“As we mark this anniversary”, concludes the statement, “JRS invites all people of good will to join us in the work of peace and reconciliation in Syria”.