Bill O’Keefe, Catholic Relief Services’ vice president for government relations and advocacy, in December toured C.R.S. and Caritas Internationalis efforts to respond to the continuing refugee crisis in Europe in Greece, Serbia and Macedonia. O’Keefe was astonished by the sight of thousands of people stepping out of rail cars at Europe’s southern borders, walking a half mile toward Serbia and beginning a long journey north to what many hope will be a refuge in Germany and other northern European states. It’s an “overwhelming” spectacle, he said. Though some migration experts had hoped the onset of winter might stem the tide of people in flight, the flow of refugees out of Syria and other zones of suffering in the Middle East shows no signs of letting up. Back in Syria, O’Keefe said, the suffering has only grown worse as a new Russian air offensive joins a Syrian army advance on rebel positions around the war-ruined Aleppo, once prosperous and Syria’s most populous city. Turkish officials worry that a final offensive on Aleppo might drive an additional 300,000 into flight.
Syrian Suffering
Show Comments (
)
Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.
The latest from america
The people of God see the bishop of Rome as a teacher, but they also unquestionably see him as a father.
Since the death of Pope Francis, lists of his possible successors have proliferated on social media and in newspapers. Should you trust them?
A Homily for the Third Sunday of Easter, by Terrance Klein
In a pre-conclave meeting, an Italian cardinal, and backer of Cardinal Parolin as next pope, attacked Pope Francis for opening positions of responsibility in the church to men and women not in holy orders.