A lost generation

Half of the two million people, so far, forced to flee Syria are children. A fact that, more than any other, captures the extent of the humanitarian tragedy that is ensuing in the Middle Eastern country. “There is the risk that an entire generation of children will be lost”, warned Cardinal Antonio Maria Vegliò, President of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, in an interview given to our newspaper.

What is the current situation?

The situation in Syria appears especially disastrous and every day that passes it grows nothing but worse, with profound humanitarian consequences. In the last six months the number of refugees has doubled from one to two million persons.

And we shouldn't forget the people still in Syria.

Indeed. A third of the population, seven million people, need humanitarian assistance. More than 110,000 have been killed.

Is your Pontifical Council working on any special initiatives?

Our dicastery is studying the day to day situation in Syria and always carries out its work the local Churches, who are directly responsible. Furthermore, one of the tasks of this Pontifical Council is to make known and sensitize the public about what is happening.