Prelate laments heavy fighting in Aleppo

April 29, 2016

The Chaldean Catholic bishop of Aleppo lamented the intensification of fighting in Syria’s largest city.

“The situation of the people is disastrous,” Bishop Antoine Audo said in an interview with Aid to the Church in Need. “Before the war, there were over 150,000 Christians of various denominations in Aleppo. Today, about two-thirds have become refugees in their own country or have sought refuge in other countries, such as Lebanon, but also in the West.”

Bishop Audo said that the relations between Aleppo’s Christians and Muslims have generally been good and have even improved since the Syrian conflict began in 2011.

The forces fighting against the Assad regime in Aleppo, however, “are groups that are being financed from outside of the country,” the prelate said. “They do not come from Syria.”

 

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Further information:

• Syria: “Our children get coffins for Easter” - Fear and terror return to Aleppo (Aid to the Church in Need)
• Airstrike destroys Syrian hospital amid fears of ‘catastrophic’ turn in fighting (The Washington Post)
• Aleppo's Armenian districts bombarded on anniversary of genocide (CWN, 4/26)