Member of the Syrian Coalition Ahmed Ramadan said that Aleppo residents are calling the corridors that Russia is talking about ‘corridors of death.’ Ramadan accused Russia and the Assad regime of forcing civilians out of their homes through continued bombardment.
“What is taking place right now is not battles, but a complete and systematic destruction of the city of Aleppo and its residents, whether they are civilians or fighters,” Ramadan told AFP on Friday.
Ramadan pointed out that the Syrian opposition sees in the Russian proposal a war crime and a crime against humanity as such a proposal is intended to empty the city of its population with the help of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ militias.
The United States on Thursday rebuked as a “demand for surrender” the Russian Defense Ministry’s announcement of “humanitarian corridors” for civilians and unarmed rebels to leave rebel-held eastern Aleppo.
“Without further clarification, it would appear to be a demand for surrender of opposition groups, and the forced evacuation of innocent civilians from Aleppo,” US State Department spokesman John Kirby told journalists at the State Department press briefing July 28. “Any offensive actions would be inconsistent with the spirit and letter of the UN Security Council Resolution 2254 and our own understandings with the Russians.”
Kirby added: “Our position on humanitarian access has not changed. Russia and the regime must uphold the basic agreed principle that the UN determines what assistance is necessary to relieve the suffering of civilians in besieged communities. And all supplies, including food and medical supplies, must be delivered immediately.”
The US Department of State accused the Assad regime and Russia of exploiting the provision of food and relief items as incentives for Aleppo’s residents to abandon the city in favor of the regime. (Source: Syrian Coalition + Agencies)
