Syria, Aleppo: Tomorrow might be too late
STATEMENT FROM ICRC HEAD OF COMMUNICATION PAWEL KRZYSIEK, SYRIA – CURRENTLY IN ALEPPO:
“Since days in Aleppo, we’ve seen enormous enormous suffering of civilians affected by the recent escalations of fighting. For over weeks, thousands of people have fled eastern Aleppo to the western side of the city. Thousands are still living in collective shelters where the humanitarian situation is extremely dire.
On the other side, on the Eastern side, the ICRC fears for the lives of thousands of civilians who are trapped in this fighting.
What we need right now is the agreement between the parties – the agreement that we as the neutral intermediary are ready to facilitate in order to find a solution for the civilians.
What we however see right now on the ground is that we are very far away from this agreement - that we still need to find a solution to put an end to this suffering. And this is the up most priority. Today we have again seen the escalation of the fighting and more people will be suffering if it continues like that.”
“Our main concern right now is the safety and the protection of the civilian population. We have seen in the past weeks when we heard the stories of the people who fled eastern Aleppo how much risks these people take; how many impossible choices they have to make in order to reach safety. They are going through the halls of the destroyed buildings. They have to walk for hours. On their backs they have wounded, or sick. They have their little children. They arrive to the collective shelters with little or no belongings. That is the humanitarian tragedy that is deepening every day. We have to do something because tomorrow might just be too late.”
We are responding right now to this unfolding deepening humanitarian crisis as the ICRC together with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent. In the collective shelters, where the entire humanitarian community try to meet the basic needs of thousands who continue to arrive.
SHOTLIST
Location: Aleppo, Syria
Length: 5:51
Format: HD H264 mov
ICRC ref: AV576N
Date: Various
Copyright: ICRC access all
December 14 2016
SOUNDBTE Pawel Krzysiek, ICRC Head of Communication, Syria - currently in Aleppo:
“Since days in Aleppo, we’ve seen enormous enormous suffering of civilians affected by the recent escalations of fighting. For over weeks, thousands of people have fled eastern Aleppo to the western side of the city. Thousands are still living in collective shelters where the humanitarian situation is extremely dire.
On the other side, on the Eastern side, the ICRC fears for the lives of thousands of civilians who are trapped in this fighting.
What we need right now is the agreement between the parties – the agreement that we as the neutral intermediary are ready to facilitate in order to find a solution for the civilians.
What we however see right now on the ground is that we are very far away from this agreement - that we still need to find a solution to put an end to this suffering. And this is the up most priority. Today we have again seen the escalation of the fighting and more people will be suffering if it continues like that.”
“Our main concern right now is the safety and the protection of the civilian population. We have seen in the past weeks when we heard the stories of the people who fled eastern Aleppo how much v risks these people take; how many impossible choices they have to make in order to reach safety. They are going through the halls of the destroyed buildings. They have to walk for hours. On their backs they have wounded, or sick. They have their little children. They arrive to the collective shelters with little or no belongings. That is the humanitarian tragedy that is deepening every day. We have to do something because tomorrow might just be too late.”
We are responding right now to this unfolding deepening humanitarian crisis as the ICRC together with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent. In the collective shelters, where the entire humanitarian community try to meet the basic needs of thousands who continue to arrive.
December 12, 2016
3:35 Masaken Hanano and the road to it through several districts of Eastern Aleppo
END 5:51
