Archbishop Tomasi: Syria's children paying the highest price

(Vatican Radio) The Holy See's Permanent Observer to the United Nations, Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, says children in Syria are paying the highest price in the nation's worsening conflict. Tomasi says Syrian children are being killed, tortured and forced to flee their homes and some have even been used as "human shields" during the fighting. He spoke to Vatican Radio's Susy Hodges.

Listen to the extended interview with Archbishop Tomasi:

Archbishop Tomasi spoke of his deep concern about the "worsening crisis" in Syria and noted that among the many victims being killed or tortured or forced to flee their homes there are many children. He said "there are abundent signs that some children have been used as human shields to protect soldiers or rebels" in their military campaign. All this shows, he says, "that children are paying the highest price" in Syria's conflict and he believes this fact "should alert the conscience of the international community" to work harder at finding a negotiated solution.

Archbishop Tomasi goes on to warn about the real risk that the Syria conflict will spread to other countries. He says the international community really needs to make this effort" to find a negotiated solution" to bring about peace as otherwise, he says, "the situation will not only worsen but will be "contagious and spread to other countries in the region and even become a danger, a risk to international peace."

Asked about the threat posed by arms supplies to both sides in the Syrian conflict, Archbishop Tomasi says "the presence of mercenaries and the inflow of arms is certainly damaging any efforts to arrive at a decision to negotiate a solution."