Pope Francis has written to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. This is because he is concerned about the humanitarian situation of the civilian population.
The letter was hand-delivered to him by two cardinals: Peter Turkson and the current nuncio in Damascus, Mario Zenari.
The content of the letter has not been revealed. However, it is known the pope denounces the harsh conditions for the the population in Idlib. Out of its 3 million inhabitants, 1.3 million have had to flee to refugee camps like this one. It is the Al-Hol camp, in the Northeast of the country.
There Unicef reports 90% of the population are women and children, and it is difficult to get humanitarian aid to them.
In his letter, Pope Francis proposes to Assad concrete gestures to reconcile the country. These are to provide conditions for the safe return of displaced persons and exiles; The release of tens of thousands of political prisoners; and relatives of detainees be informed about their situation.
He also asks him to protect the lives of civilians, schools and hospitals.
During these more than eight years of conflict, the Holy See has insisted on the need to seek a viable political solution to put an end to the conflict and overcoming partisan interests.
