Statement by EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides on the attack on civilian areas of Aleppo

The European Commission strongly condemns the recent mortar attack on civilian areas of Aleppo which killed at least 19 children

"I strongly condemn yesterday's mortar attack on civilian areas of Aleppo, which reportedly killed nineteen children, including six in a UNICEF-supported child friendly space.

Every child in Syria today under the age of five years knows only life in a war, which makes children the true victims of this war. Millions of children inside Syria and in the region remain out of school. With the continued attacks on schools, lack of employment opportunities, and the climate of fear that young people are subjected to, the idea of a lost generation of Syrians is becoming ever more the reality.

Yesterdays' attack shows that children are not even safe in dedicated child friendly spaces. I praise UNICEF for their dedication in working in such a difficult and dangerous operational environment.

I condemn all indiscriminate attacks on civilians and once again urge all parties to the conflict to respect International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and the protection of civilians."

بيان من المفوض خريستوس ستيليانيدس يدين القصف بقذائف الهاون على أحياء مدنية في حلب الذي أدى إلى مقتل 19 طفلًا.