Belgian official urges end to Syrian conflict

A Belgian official is urging the international community to work together in ending the civil conflict that has been raging in Syria since last year. On his visit to Lebanon this week, the President of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives, André Flahaut, called for an end to the “massacre in Syria” which he says has led to the mass displacement of civilians. During his meeting with the country’s most prominent Christian leader Patriarch Mar Bechara Boutros al-Rai, Flahaut also urged neighbouring countries like Lebanon to ensure that displaced Syrians are receiving necessary aid. "Belgium is calling for the end to the massacres taking place in Syria. The international community should be mobilised to put an end to the massive displacement of Syrians. If there is a message that needs to be sent, it is about the need to redouble efforts and finally contribute to delivering humanitarian aid to civilians," said a former defense minister in regards to the meeting. Tens of thousands of Syrians have lost their lives in the escalating conflict between forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad and rebels opposed to his rule. The bloody internal battle, which began last year, has forced hundreds of thousands to flee across the country’s borders and is now threatening to tear the nation apart. A recent report by a UN agency monitoring refugees estimates that the number of Syrian refugees displaced by the conflict has now reached 750,000. Meanwhile, Matriach al-Rai also met with Lebanon’s Minister of Environment Nazim Khoury to discuss the priest’s recent visit to Syria. "It was a necessary step to reassure the region's Christians that spiritual leaders are together and will look after the greater Christian congregation in the Middle East. It was purely a religious visit” insisted Khoury. Speaking of Pope Benedict XVI’s shock resignation yesterday, Khoury expressed his surprise but said that it was a “widely admired” step for the head of the Catholic Church to give up such a senior position, after admitting that he could longer perform his duties due to poor health. At 85, Benedict is the first Pope to resign in the last 600 years of the Vatican’s history.