TAKE ACTION, Aleppo: Ongoing Tragedy

Even as we think it cannot get worse, that national leaders with the political will should be able to come together to end the horrific violence perpetrated on innocent civilians, it does. The unprecedented scale of the devastation in Syria can leave people immobilized. Thankfully there are things we can all do. Please read this message from Nariman Hamo, one of MBBI’s Women in Mediation participants, and Operations Director of the Center for Civil Society and Democracy.

Dear All,

I’m writing to share two stories from Center for Civil Society and Democracy (CCSD) staff members who have family in besieged Aleppo, and to tell you how you can take action – SEE BELOW FOR HOW TO TAKE ACTION.

One of our colleagues has twelve cousins between the ages of two and twelve (girls and boys) who fled from Aleppo’s Karam Al-Jabal neighbourhood to the Sukari neighbourhood with their parents under shelling. One of the children was injured in the shoulder and needs immediate medical care. There is no medical care, food or any other basic services in Sukari, which is also being shelled. They cannot leave unless safe passage is guaranteed.

Another one of our colleagues has not been able to contact his father, age 70, for two days. His father is very weak and sick due to malnutrition and the lack of water and medicine. He didn’t flee to the regime-controlled area because he was afraid of being arrested or assassinated. His parents decided to part for the first time in their marriage, with his mother leaving this morning for the regime-controlled area, and his father staying.

There have been documented cases of civilians being arrested or killed when they have fled to regime-controlled Aleppo. See here for the description of one case documented by CCSD: http://ccsdsyria.org/aleppo-ongoing-tragedy/

Many of you are asking us what you can do. We urge you to take action:

Mobilise your members to call and tweet at the Russian embassies in your country (contact info below). Tell them we demand that they:

1.  STOP the bombing of Aleppo completely.
2. ENSURE safe passage for all besieged men, women and children to a safe place.
3. ACCEPT international monitoring for the passage.

• Call any local and national media contacts you have and ask them to focus on the issue of civilian protection in Aleppo.
• Join any local demonstrations for besieged Aleppo – there are protests in many cities around the world in front of Russian embassies and consulates.
• If there is no demonstration, organize one – even a few people will send a message.
• Please share this with all of your contacts and on your social media.

Thank you for doing all you can for the Syrian people.

Best,

Nariman Hamo

PS: Russian Embassy in the United States

+1 (202) 298-5700
embassy@russianembassy.org
@RusEmbUSA

Russian Embassy in the UK

+44 (0) 20 7229 6412
press@rusemb.org.uk
bilateralrelations@rusemb.org.uk
foreignpolicy@rusemb.org.uk
@RussianEmbassy

Russian Embassy in the Netherlands

+31(0)70 346 8888
rusembassynl@mid.ru
@rusembassynl

Here are some additional steps:

You can sign this Avaaz petition and share it with the world.

(Featured Image Photo Credit: Joshua Tabti, Aleppo)