German Caritas launches appeal for Syria

(March 16, 2012) Germany’s Catholic Church charity, Caritas is appealing for €350,000 to fund their emergency work in Syria. Caritas Germany, which also has worldwide commitments to emergency assistance and reconstruction and the development of social services known as Caritas International, has already given food, blankets and heaters to 5,000 refugees in Jordan and Lebanon. And local Caritas partners have been providing medical care for months for victims of the violent clashes between government troops and insurgents. But the recent death of a local charity partner worker has sparked fear. “The commitment of our partners in Syria is extremely dangerous,” said Caritas International’s head of Africa and the Middle East Christoph Klitsch-Ott. “We not only need a full and unimpeded access to victims, but also to provide effective protection of workers’ demands,” he said. More than 230,000 people have been displaced from their homes since the fighting, which has caused over 8,000 deaths, began one year ago. 30,000 of them have sought refuge in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey.