Jihadists suspected of cutting off water and electricity to hurt Aleppo populace
Friday, February 19, 2016
"Just the other day a student, a little boy of about 13 years-old asked me: 'Why do I have to study? I am going to die.'"
By John
Pontifex
NEW
YORK—Jihadists may be to blame for cutting off essential water
and electricity supplies in Aleppo, Syria’s second city, according to a local
bishop who fears for the lives of those affected.
Bishop Georges Abou Khazen, the Apostolic Vicar of Aleppo, told international
Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need that most of the city—which is
undergoing persistent bombardment – have had no electricity for five months and
at present have no water too.
The
bishop said these shortages were the result of targeted attacks and not just
collateral damage as a result of the conflict.
He said: “I don’t know who – perhaps it was the jihadist groups – but they cut
the electricity and the water too. The whole population of Aleppo is affected
by the lack of water and electricity.”
Bishop
Khazen went on to he describe how extremists were behind the ongoing bombing of
various areas of the city, including the Christian quarter. He said: “For the
last 20 days we have been under bombardment, almost daily bombing, that is
destroying many houses, many apartments, and causing many, many deaths.
“Every day, there are four or five deaths – some days as many as 10 are killed.
And all this is the work of jihadist groups.”
Christian buildings have been targeted as part of the barrage that has affected
all parts of the city. Bishop Khazen added: “Nearly all our churches are
damaged and some of them are completely destroyed. “A few days ago, the
Armenian Protestant church was badly damaged, and five days ago our Roman
Catholic church was damaged, along with the pastoral center.”
The prelate charged that the continuing bombing was the work of Islamist extremists.
He
said: “In the city these jihadist groups are occupying some quarters about a
half– perhaps even two-thirds, of the city.”
Bishop
Khazen described how badly the continuing bombardments were affecting those
still living in Aleppo. He said: “The people are really very, very afraid
because of this bombing. They just hope to see the end of it.
“Just the other day a student, a little boy of about 13 years old asked me ‘Why
do I have to study? I am going to die’ – so you understand how terrible things
are here.”
Bishop
Khazen added: “We have daily emigration. People are leaving the city every
day.”
The
bishop said that, while there were no exact figures, at least 70 percent of the
Christians had left the city since the beginning of the fighting. He added: “We
hope the ceasefire will work. But there are many, many groups affiliated top Al
Quaidi or ISIS, and we think they will not observe this ceasefire.
He
continued: “Russia and others are pushing for negotiations, and many of the
Syrians want this negotiation to succeed. But, as you know, we have thousands
upon thousands of foreign fighters in the country.”
He said that despite this, Christian communities in Aleppo still “have hope –
hope for us is like faith and charity – we cannot live without hope.
“God
is almighty, God is our father, and remember in the Old Testament how he saved
a remnant of the people – this is what we hope for too.”
Destruction in the Christian quarter of Aleppo; ACN photo
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