Caritas Internationalis on Tuesday mourned the death of two members of its staff in Mariupol and urged “to stop the indiscriminate massacre of civilians” in Ukraine.
“This dramatic news leaves the Caritas family horrified and shocked. We join in the pain and solidarity with the suffering of families and our Caritas Ukraine colleagues who are experiencing a tragedy,” Caritas Internationalis Secretary General Aloysius John said in a note on the news of the death of two members of Caritas Ukraine Mariupol.
The news broke in the last few hours, but the tragic attack probably took place on 15 March, when a tank fired at the Caritas center building in Mariupol, killing two staff members and five of their relatives, they explained.
At this time, due to the lack of communication with the city of Mariupol and the lack of access to the facilities of the Caritas center, the organization's national office in Ukraine does not yet have enough information to determine what happened and continues to collect information, they added.
“Martyrdom in Ukraine, as Pope Francis has called it, must be stopped, and it must be stopped now,” urged the Catholic organization, whose headquarters are in Rome.
“The international community must do its utmost to stop this massacre immediately. Peace must be given a chance. Armed conflict and violence are not the solution. Human lives must be safeguarded and human dignity upheld. The safety of civilians must be ensured,” Caritas added.
Since the beginning of the conflict, the two Caritas organizations present in Ukraine, Caritas Ukraine and Caritas-Spes Ukraine, have stood beside the people, and so far they have provided assistance to some 600,000 people.
(With information from EFE)
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