ROME - The founder of the Sant'Egidio Community has raised an appeal entitled "Save Aleppo" for humanitarian corridors and the protection of civilians, "to impose peace in the name of those who suffer"

  The news that currently comes from the ruined city of Aleppo speaks of a city devastated by the fighting and bombings. Aleppo and the nearby villages are torn between regime forces, the Free Syrian Army, ISIS and the YPG.

  The escalation of the fighting has been caused by the flight of thousands of Syrians from the area south of the city. It is estimated that last week alone 70,000 people were forced to leave that region.

  Undeniably, the humanitarian situation in this historic city is of great concern. Fighting between ISIS and the regime along the axis Khanasser-Athrayya has caused the link between the city and other areas controlled by Damascus to be broken, resulting in the interruption of supplies for the population. Water and electricity supplies have been interrupted in the city for eight days now.

  However, the violence does not spare the Christian neighbourhoods and places of worship. Three days ago, at Azizieh, a shell hit the Catholic church during mass. The dome has miraculously survived the impact, therefore saving the lives of many of the faithful gathered there.

  It is evident that the efforts of international diplomacy to date have not been sufficient to save Aleppo. The Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-Moon, said on Sept. 28 that: "Four years of diplomatic paralysis of the Security Council have meant that the Syrian crisis has become out of control, the responsibility is first and foremost for the parties involved in the conflict in Syria, but to look inside the Middle Eastern country to find a solution alone is not enough, the battle is also guided by powers and regional rivalries. "

  "Save Aleppo is worth more than a statement on the battlefield! They must prepare humanitarian corridors and supplies for civilians. " The community of Sant’Egidio remains convinced that "we need to impose peace in the name of those who suffer" and rebuild a future for this city, historical crossroads for so many peoples and a place of millennial coexistence between Muslims and Christians. We have to help Aleppo survive, and do it in a fast and effective manner.