A shocking eyewitness report of massive indiscriminate violence in Aleppo prompts Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council Jan Egeland to call for an immediate end to the indiscriminate bombing, a humanitarian truce, access for relief supplies and safe evacuation of civilians and the wounded.
“The world community has utterly failed to provide humanitarian assistance and protection to the people of Aleppo. If no action is taken, tens of thousands risk being killed by the violence and the lack of protection and assistance”, says Egeland.
He comments on the shocking new eyewitness report from the Italian born journalist Francesca Borri who has been inside Aleppo during the recent weeks:
“I have been covering the battle for Aleppo since the beginning, but I have never experienced such a nightmare. It's carpet bombing. Day and night, all around the clock, everywhere, but really everywhere, a blast every twenty minutes, jets and helicopters always over your head - always, always, and there is no basement, no shelter. Nothing. You wait and die”, says Borri.
Aleppo is the largest city in Syria with more than two million inhabitants before the war. Today, only a fraction of that population remains in the war-torn city. Over the last weeks it has become increasingly evident that the population of Aleppo cannot be saved unless immediate measures are taken.
“Whilst all sides continue to thwart the efforts of international NGOs and UN agencies and impose undue restrictions on access to the country, humanitarian aid is no longer enough. Indiscriminate bombing on such a scale, of such a savagery, undermines attempt at relief”, says Borri, who is providing one of few international eyewitness reports from the city.
“At the moment there is almost impossible for humanitarians to reach civilians trapped in the crossfire in spite of the recent United Nations Security Council Resolution on access to Syria. We must therefore re-think the strategy for saving lives in Aleppo”, says Egeland.
NRC is now asking the UN, backed by the US, Russia, and in concert with the regional actors, to immediately come together and carve out a plan for Aleppo:
“There must be an end to the indiscriminate bombing, a humanitarian truce, access for relief supplies and safe evacuation of civilians and the wounded. If we are not able to increase our efforts for the people in Aleppo, I am afraid it will place itself in the history books alongside names like Rwanda and Srebrenica – places where we had all information about what was happening, but where we did so little”, says Egeland.
NRC has been and is currently helping more than 700,000 people affected by the conflict in Syria and in neighbouring countries. Read more at www.nrc.no/syriaresponse
For interview requests or more information please contact Rolf A. Vestvik, Director External Communications (+47 48 89 33 13) or Tiril Skarstein, Media Adviser (+47 90 56 92 87).