Pope Francis on Sunday called for an end to fighting in Ukraine on the fourth day of a Russian invasion of the country.
“Let the weapons fall silent,” he said. “God is with those who seek peace, not those resorting to violence.”
The Argentine pontiff also called for the “urgent” opening of humanitarian corridors to allow civilians to escape the onslaught.
“I am thinking of the elderly, of all those at the moment seeking refuge, of mothers fleeing with their children,” he said.
“They are brothers and sisters for whom it is urgent to open up humanitarian corridors and who must be welcomed.”
The UN refugee agency UNHCR says more than 368,000 people have fled Ukraine since Russia invaded on Thursday.
Many of those escaping to neighboring countries have crossed over into Poland, where the authorities have counted some 156,000 crossing since that date.
Others have also headed to Moldavia, Hungary, Slovakia and Romania.
Meanwhile, the United States said Sunday it is sending nearly $54 million in new humanitarian aid to Ukraine as it grapples with the Russian invasion.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US is focused on Ukraine’s “urgent humanitarian needs as an important part of our response to Russia’s premeditated, unprovoked and unjustified attack.”
This new assistance to be channeled through NGOs includes “provision of food, safe drinking water, shelter, emergency health care, winterization and protection,” Blinken said in a statement.
Blinken said the new assistance will also help aid groups maintain contact between family members who have been separated by the war, “hopefully leading to reunification in some cases.”
Blinken commended neighboring countries for taking in fleeing Ukrainians “and we are engaging diplomatically to support their efforts to keep their borders open and assist those seeking international protection.”
The United States has now provided Ukraine with nearly $405 million in aid since Russia first invaded Ukraine in 2014 and seized the Crimean Peninsula, the statement said.