A Humanitarian Initiative for Aleppo

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In this vain we wish to draw the attention of the world to the brutality of the regime in dealing

with civilians fleeing besieged neighbourhoods of Aleppo. Hundreds of innocent young men

have been unfairly detained and their future is uncertain. Women, who have been hit hardest

by the harsh realities of siege, have been raped in despicable acts of revenge. Contrary to what

some parties are saying, the civilian population of besieged Aleppo will be in great danger if the

Armed Revolutionary Groups leave the city. Civilians should either be protected or evacuated

to a safe area where they will not be under the mercy of the Assad and his henchmen.

OFFICIAL STATEMENT

In order to ensure that our beloved people for whom we raised arms do not suffer

unnecessarily, we propose the following initiative:

1- An immediate humanitarian ceasefire of 5 days

2- Evacuation of all cases requiring emergency treatment (estimated at 500 cases) under UN

supervision with the necessary security guarantees.

3- Evacuation of civilians that wish to leave the city to the northern countryside of Aleppo. Idlib

is not a safe area because Russia and the regime continue to carry out air strikes against

towns and villages there. In addition, Idlib can no longer accommodate more IDPs and has

already been overwhelmed by the forced sectarian displacement of civilians from other

Syrian governorates who faced the regime's "starve or kneel" policy.

4- Once the humanitarian situation has been alleviated in Aleppo city, the parties concerned

can negotiate the future of the city.

The onus now is on the stakeholder states in general, and the global powers in particular, to live

up to their supposed moral obligations. The world's complacency bears ultimate responsibility

for what has befallen the civilian population of Aleppo and what will befall them in the coming

days. The lives of innocent people cannot be held hostage to political posturing or to a

disingenuous negotiation processes. Now is the ultimate test of those powers that claim

principled motivations for their involvement in Syria but who have so far been found lacking in

their application of those moral principles.

ALEPPO

ALEPPO CITY LEADERSHIP COUNCIL

| 08/03/1438

07/12/2016