Press release
Syrian Opposition Coalition – Syria
Department of Media and Communications
August 14, 2020
The Syrian people will continue to suffer and pay a heavy price as long as the Assad regime remains in power, whether through constant bombardment and mass forced displacement or because they are forced to live in the regime-held areas and suffer hyperinflation, abject poverty, and the risks of arrest and torture.
About 50 civilians on Thursday were caught in a midfield while trying to flee from the regime-held areas to the liberated areas in rural Aleppo, with reports of the death of seven and the injury of many more. Some managed to escape and reach the liberated areas, while others were detained by the Assad regime’s militias with their fate remains unknown.
The Syrian Opposition Coalition extends its sincere condolences to the families of the victims and wishes the injured a speedy recovery. It warns of the dangers of crossing unsafe areas for civilians as well as for those who would try to rescue them.
The risks of crossing today can be a reason for transmitting the coronavirus and the emergence of new epicenters of the disease, which would threaten the lives of tens of thousands of civilians. More precaution must be taken before taking such steps.
The catastrophic situation in Syria, especially poverty and the recent health developments, are imposing unbearable suffering on civilians. Millions of Syrians are now living in catastrophic conditions inasmuch that many prefer to risk their lives in view of the absence of any real prospect for a solution.
