Italy marks three years since start of Syria war
Italy's foreign minister and the mayor of Rome will on Friday participate in a candlelight vigil to mark three years since the start of the Syrian civil war, a conflict which has displaced 40 percent of the population and left more than 146,000 people dead.
Minister Federica Mogherini will join Mayor Ignazio Marino outside Rome’s city hall, which will be illuminated in red light this evening, for the event organized by Save the Children Italia.
The politicians will be joined by a representative from the UN’s refugee agency, to mark three years since the Syrian regime launched its crackdown on anti-government protesters.
Rome’s event is part of the international #WithSyria campaign, with vigils planned across Europe and around the world.
Since clashes in March 2011 the crisis has descended into a civil war between President Bashar al-Assad’s government and a divided opposition which includes both citizen protesters and extremist foreign fighters.
While the UN has stopped updating its death toll, the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on Thursday said more than 146,000 people have now been killed.
In February, Emma Bonino, then Italy’s foreign minister, described the conflict as “the worst humanitarian crisis of our time”.
The international community “should immediately achieve tangible results for the Syrian population...too much time has already passed, we cannot consign the Syrian tragedy to oblivion,” Bonino said.
The Save the Children campaign has attracted wide support in Italy, including from Serie A football club Fiorentina. “Just because it doesn’t happen here it doesn’t mean it’s not happening,” the club tweeted earlier this week.
SOLO PERCHÉ NON ACCADE QUI NON VUOL DIRE CHE NON STIA ACCADENDO http://t.co/ZpVWoqtXC9 @SaveChildrenIT
— ACF Fiorentina (@ACF_Fiorentina) March 11, 2014
Thousands of Syrian refugees have travelled to Italy since the start of the war, many taking the perilous journey across the Mediterranean to reach European shores. Italy has struggled to cope with the number of new arrivals and, due to EU law, many Syrians have found themselves stuck in the country despite wanting to travel elsewhere.
READ MORE: Syrian refugees stranded at Milan rail hub
As part of international efforts to end the conflict, the Italian government in January agreed to host a transfer of the Syrian regime’s stockpile of chemical weapons. While the move faced fierce opposition from residences in Gioia Tauro, the southern port was described by the government as being a “particularly appropriate” site for the operation.
READ MORE: Calabrian port to host Syria chemical transfer
View a gallery of vigils around the world:
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Minister Federica Mogherini will join Mayor Ignazio Marino outside Rome’s city hall, which will be illuminated in red light this evening, for the event organized by Save the Children Italia.
The politicians will be joined by a representative from the UN’s refugee agency, to mark three years since the Syrian regime launched its crackdown on anti-government protesters.
Rome’s event is part of the international #WithSyria campaign, with vigils planned across Europe and around the world.
Since clashes in March 2011 the crisis has descended into a civil war between President Bashar al-Assad’s government and a divided opposition which includes both citizen protesters and extremist foreign fighters.
While the UN has stopped updating its death toll, the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on Thursday said more than 146,000 people have now been killed.
In February, Emma Bonino, then Italy’s foreign minister, described the conflict as “the worst humanitarian crisis of our time”.
The international community “should immediately achieve tangible results for the Syrian population...too much time has already passed, we cannot consign the Syrian tragedy to oblivion,” Bonino said.
The Save the Children campaign has attracted wide support in Italy, including from Serie A football club Fiorentina. “Just because it doesn’t happen here it doesn’t mean it’s not happening,” the club tweeted earlier this week.
SOLO PERCHÉ NON ACCADE QUI NON VUOL DIRE CHE NON STIA ACCADENDO http://t.co/ZpVWoqtXC9 @SaveChildrenIT
— ACF Fiorentina (@ACF_Fiorentina) March 11, 2014 Thousands of Syrian refugees have travelled to Italy since the start of the war, many taking the perilous journey across the Mediterranean to reach European shores. Italy has struggled to cope with the number of new arrivals and, due to EU law, many Syrians have found themselves stuck in the country despite wanting to travel elsewhere.
READ MORE: Syrian refugees stranded at Milan rail hub
As part of international efforts to end the conflict, the Italian government in January agreed to host a transfer of the Syrian regime’s stockpile of chemical weapons. While the move faced fierce opposition from residences in Gioia Tauro, the southern port was described by the government as being a “particularly appropriate” site for the operation.
READ MORE: Calabrian port to host Syria chemical transfer
View a gallery of vigils around the world:
Don't miss a story about Italy - Join us on Facebook and Twitter.
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