Damascus priest: ‘Don’t
forget the suffering population of Syria'
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| Civilians in the former Syrian town of Douma on the outskirts of Damacus (AFP) |
Fr Bahjat Karakach, guardian of the Franciscan Convent in
the Bab Thouma area of Damascus, appeals for help for a population on its
knees.
By Vatican News
The website of the Franciscan Convent in Damascus’ Bab Touma area
features a desperate appeal for help for the people of the city struck by
conflict and economic downturn.
The conflict in Syria has killed hundreds of thousands of
people and displaced millions since it began in March 2011. The global
coronavirus pandemic and its far-reaching effects are exacerbating their
suffering.
“In these difficult times we have no other solution than to
turn to your charity, your closeness," says Fr. Bahjat Karakach, the
Franciscan guardian of the convent which is attached to the Latin Catholic parish
dedicated to the Conversion of St. Paul, in the old part of Damascus where many
Christian Churches are to be found.
"As a Church,” he says, “we try to be close to the
people, not to leave anyone without bread... but we cannot continue in our
mission without your support, without your charity.”
Fr. Karakach explains that most Syrians live in misery due
to 10 years of war and destruction and that the Covid-19 pandemic is further
impacting the country’s serious economic crisis.
He explains that the currency, the Syrian lire, is
plummeting and prices have more than tripled making it increasingly
"difficult to buy food and essential goods, meaning that it is impossible
for the population to live normally".
"Today a family man would have to work a whole month to
be able to buy a couple of kilos of meat,” he explains, and “he would have to
work a whole year to be able to pay the school fees of a single child.”
The priests and religious continue to do their best to bring
assistance and solace to the people, he says, "we enter the homes of
Syrians and find people who have nothing to feed themselves with. Hence the
invitation to solidarity to support families in difficulty.”
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