Gaziantep, 30 November 2016: Humanitarian agency CARE International is calling for an immediate end to attacks on civilians in and around Aleppo and for safe and unimpeded humanitarian access to those in most desperate need.
“We are running out of words to describe the horrendous actions being committed against the civilian population of Aleppo,” said Christina Northey, Country Director for CARE International in Turkey, who oversees partnership programming for the agency in northern Syria. “Children, mothers, families, are living in desperate fear, none of them knowing whether they will see tomorrow. This madness must end.”
After almost 100 days under siege by Russian and Syrian armed forces, and with reports of opposition forces preventing some people from leaving, fighting and shelling in eastern Aleppo has intensified since mid-November, killing and injuring hundreds of civilians, and destroying and damaging civilian infrastructure, including all remaining hospitals. At least 250,000 people have been under the bombardment of air strikes and missiles, with ground forces taking some of the neighborhoods in recent days.
CARE calls on all parties to the conflict to exercise restraint and on the international community to demand the protection of civilians.
CARE was supporting a partner-operated community kitchen in eastern Aleppo until October, when the humanitarian blockade prevented further assistance. CARE continues to support partner agencies providing emergency food baskets, hygiene kits, mattresses and blankets to displaced families in the countryside outside of Aleppo.
You can find more information on CARE's work in Syria here.
For media inquiries please contact:
Mary Kate MacIsaac, Regional Syria Response Communications Coordinator, (Amman), [email protected] +962 79 711 7414