Source: ZENIT
The plight of Iraqi refugees is dire and calls for increased U.S. assistance, said Cardinal Theodore McCarrick and Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio. In a July 26 letter sent to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Cardinal McCarrick, retired archbishop of Washington, D.C., and Bishop DiMarzio of Brooklyn, New York, voiced concern after a mission trip to Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria on behalf of the U.S. bishops' conference.After spending time in the countries neighboring Iraq, the prelates said: "It was clear that the countries we visited are in dire need of additional support from the United States and the international community in order to provide safe haven to the almost 2 million Iraqi refugees in the region." "Without a heightened commitment from our nation and others," they added, "we are fearful that these countries will no longer welcome and protect these refugees, particularly if the security situation in Iraq deteriorates and more Iraqis flee their homes." The prelates highlighted the "lack of sufficient funding to ensure that the basic needs of refugees and their families are being met," noting that medical care in particular "is not readily available." "Children are particularly vulnerable," the bishops said. "Many of them suffer physical and psychological ailments from the conflict," while "access to education remains a major problem." Cardinal McCarrick and Bishop DiMarzio also urged the United States "to work even more urgently for a responsible transition to end the war in Iraq," noting that "the existence of large numbers of vulnerable refugees is a tragic and unfortunate byproduct of the war."
The plight of Iraqi refugees is dire and calls for increased U.S. assistance, said Cardinal Theodore McCarrick and Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio. In a July 26 letter sent to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Cardinal McCarrick, retired archbishop of Washington, D.C., and Bishop DiMarzio of Brooklyn, New York, voiced concern after a mission trip to Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria on behalf of the U.S. bishops' conference.After spending time in the countries neighboring Iraq, the prelates said: "It was clear that the countries we visited are in dire need of additional support from the United States and the international community in order to provide safe haven to the almost 2 million Iraqi refugees in the region." "Without a heightened commitment from our nation and others," they added, "we are fearful that these countries will no longer welcome and protect these refugees, particularly if the security situation in Iraq deteriorates and more Iraqis flee their homes." The prelates highlighted the "lack of sufficient funding to ensure that the basic needs of refugees and their families are being met," noting that medical care in particular "is not readily available." "Children are particularly vulnerable," the bishops said. "Many of them suffer physical and psychological ailments from the conflict," while "access to education remains a major problem." Cardinal McCarrick and Bishop DiMarzio also urged the United States "to work even more urgently for a responsible transition to end the war in Iraq," noting that "the existence of large numbers of vulnerable refugees is a tragic and unfortunate byproduct of the war."