The Council of Free Aleppo Governorate called upon the United Nations and human rights organizations to assume their responsibilities towards the protection of civilians in Aleppo from the fierce bombing campaign by the Assad regime and Russia forces.
In a statement issued on Monday, the council appealed to the international community to put an end to the ferocious bombardment on the city and protect civilians through the opening of safe corridors under the auspices of the United Nations as well as the introduction of lifesaving aid, most importantly medical, food and fuel supplies to the beleaguered city.
The council also called for the imposition of international sanctions on the Assad regime because of its targeting of civilians as well as its prevention of humanitarian aid from reaching civilians trapped in the city. The council earlier called for stopping what it called the holocaust taking place in Aleppo and to force the Assad regime to lift the siege on the city. Aleppo has lost any semblance of life due to thousands of missiles fired on the city and the deliberate targeting of civil defense centers and infrastructure, the council added.
On November 12, The UN issued a bleak warning that over 250,000 civilians who are still trapped in the divided city are at risk of mass starvation as the winter sets in.
The UN said it was “concerned” by the “ongoing hostilities” in Aleppo, warning that the “eastern part of the city remains inaccessible to humanitarian workers, where an estimated 275,000 people remain trapped under horrific conditions.”
“Food and health stocks are running dangerously low in the city,” said Farhan Haq, the deputy UN spokesman.
A joint aid convoy of the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross was hit by the Assad regime and Russian jets while heading to Aleppo on September 19. The UN confirmed that the 18-truck convoy was hit by airstrikes.
Regime forces backed by Iranian-backed foreign militias have laid siege on the eastern parts of Aleppo for nearly three months. Eastern Aleppo has been subjected to intense aerial and artillery bombardment that target mainly residential areas and civilian infrastructure using internationally banned weapons such as white phosphorus, chlorine gas, and cluster bombs. All hospitals as well as a number of civil defense centers and schools were put out of service after being hit by airstrikes.
Syrian activists have launched a campaign on social media websites in solidarity with the residents of Aleppo, condemning the international silence on the daily massacres being committed against the Syrian people. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Office)
