WHAT most of us know about the Syrian war comes through a television screen or from the pages of newspapers.
We may be shocked at the images of injured people, including children, or the reports of barbaric treatment of civilians, be it the bombing of hospitals or attacks on aid convoys.
However, we have our own problems and most of us do not dwell on the suffering of those who have lost virtually everything because of the brutal civil war in that country.
Today we carry a report on the the efforts of the Irish aid agency Trócaire to help some of those who have had their lives devastated by the conflict.
One of the stories is that of a mother in her 30s. She fears her husband is dead and she and her five children are living in squalid conditions in another country which is no stranger to conflict, Lebanon.
Life is not easy for the refugees, a million of them, but many of them have endured years of this existence rather than go back to the war. Their presence in Lebanon places a huge burden on all those agencies, including Trócaire, attempting to alleviate their suffering.
Details of what Trócaire are doing and about their Christmas appeal are included in today's article.
