Syria: refugee crisis deepens

Forces still loyal to Syrian president Bashar al-Assad struck back at rebels today, killing at least 70 people in the capital, Damascus. The conflict has claimed more than 20 thousand lives and driven at least a quarter-million people from their homes, many of whom have sought refuge in the neighbouring kingdom of Jordan: 165 thousand to date, according to Caritas Jordan, with some reports saying the number of people seeking refuge in Jordan is increasing at a rate of 2 thousand per day. The Director of Caritas Jordan, Wael Suleiman told Vatican Radio most of those seeking refuge are utterly destitute. “They left everything in Syria,” he explained, adding, “they came without [anything], and they need everything.” On Sunday, Pope Benedict XVI called on the international community to guarantee that refugees receive all necessary humanitarian assistance. Listen to Wael Suleiman’s extended conversation with Vatican Radio’s Benedetta Capelli: