The UN Special Envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura, did not hide his satisfaction after having met the pope.
STAFFAN DE MISTURA
UN Special Envoy to Syria of the Secretary
'The pope reminded us with this powerful message that the key is not a military solution, nor conquering one part of Aleppo, which does not mean winning the war. It is that in this moment, peace must triumph. With this message, the Holy Father has helped us because ;we need those who can break this spiral and convey this idea.'
The situation in Syria is chilling, and the symbol of the drama is the city of Aleppo, where 350,000 people are trapped between bouts of al-Assad troops and rebels. In the last six days, 99 children have been killed, 203 people have been injured and two hospitals have been bombed. The UN representative said the only alternative is peace.
STAFFAN DE MISTURA
UN Special Envoy to Syria of the Secretary
'Have you seen the new type of bomb they are launching over Aleppo? It's called 'bunker-booster.' They are bombs used to destroy bunkers where planes and secret weapons are hidden in the wars, but not in a city. Do you realize what kind of weapons they are using right now?'
The UN Envoy is at the Vatican for this meeting, which brings together representatives of humanitarian-aid organizations within the Catholic Church, who are risking their lives to help people in these areas.
Over the past year, they managed to reach nine million people. However help is a temporary solution and they are urgently calling for peace.
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