The leader of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis have appealed to people to spend less on Christmas presents and celebrations, and rather donate the money saved to those in war-ravaged Ukraine.
Speaking in his weekly general audience at the Vatican on Wednesday which was monitored by Africa Today News, New York, Francis said; ‘It is nice to celebrate Christmas. But let’s lower the level of Christmas spending a bit’.
‘Let’s have a more humble Christmas, with more humble gifts. Let’s send what we save to the Ukrainian people, who need it,’ he added.
Africa Today News, New York reports that nearly 10 months into the war, hardship from the fighting has compounded as winter sets in and Russia pounds Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
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Missile strikes have been crippling — resulting in the periodic loss of electricity, heating, water, and phone service across swathes of Ukraine.
The Ukrainians ‘are suffering so much. They are hungry, cold. So many people are dying because there are no doctors or nurses,’ the pope said.
On Tuesday, Ukraine’s Western allies pledged an additional one billion euros ($1.1 billion) in emergency winter aid to help the country withstand Russia’s onslaught.
In another report, the government of Germany has confirmed the delivery of additional howitzer artillery systems to Ukraine, the head of the parliament’s defense committee announced on Wednesday morning.
‘More howitzer artillery systems have been delivered, in the meantime, 24 self-propelled howitzers,’ Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann told RTL television in a program monitored by Africa Today News, New York.
German-made Panzerhaubitz 2000 (PzH 2000) howitzers are known as one of the most powerful artillery systems.
Strack-Zimmermann also said that the government is planning to send 6 or 7 additional Gepard anti-aircraft tanks to Ukraine.
The Gepard tanks will be delivered after upgrades are completed by German manufacturer Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW).
Germany has been a staunch ally of Ukraine in its war with Russia and has pledged to provide €2 billion ($2.11 billion) worth of arms and equipment that will be purchased this year from German defense companies.