Pope prays for peace in Yemen and Syria

From the UAE, the land founded in the spirit of tolerance, love and coexistence, we congratulate Christians across the world and wish them peace and happiness in celebrating Christmas. Let peace prevail among the peoples across the world. The promotion of the values of tolerance is natural to the UAE, which believes that it is one of the most important pillars of the progress of nations throughout the ages HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan @MohamedBinZayed

vatican city — Pope Francis used his Christmas message on Tuesday to appeal for peace in conflict zones such as Syria and Yemen, whose populations face some of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

“My wish for a happy Christmas is a wish for fraternity. Fraternity among individuals of every nation and culture. Fraternity among people with different ideas... Fraternity among persons of different religions,” he said in his Urbi and

Orbi (To the City and to the World) address in St Peter’s Square.

The pontiff said he hoped a truce in conflict-ravaged Yemen would end a devastating war which has killed around 10,000 people since 2015 and pushed 14 million Yemenis to the brink of famine.

“My thoughts turn to Yemen, in the hope that the truce brokered by the international community may finally bring relief to all those children and people exhausted by war and famine,” he said.

The pope also evoked the war in

My thoughts turn to Yemen, in the hope that the truce brokered by the international community may finally bring relief Pope Francis

Syria, from where US President Donald Trump has decided to pull out some 2,000 troops in a controversial decision, arguing that Daesh has been defeated.

“May the international community work decisively for a political solution... so that the Syrian people, especially all those who were forced to leave their own lands and seek refuge elsewhere, can return to live in peace in their own country,” he said. —