Statement by the Spokesperson of Catherine Ashton on the recent bombings in Aleppo

Brussels,

 24

 December

 2013

131224/02

S T A T E M E N T

by

 the

 Spokesperson

 of

 EU

 High

 Representative

 Catherine

 Ashton

on

 the

 recent

 bombings

 in

 Aleppo

The

  spokesperson

  of

  Catherine

  Ashton,

  High

  Representative

  of

  the

  Union

  for

  Foreign

  Affairs

and

  Security

  Policy

  and

  Vice

  President

  of

  the

  Commission,

  issued

  the

  following

  statement

today:

"The

  High

  Representative

  is

  deeply

  concerned

  with

  reports

  of

  an

  escalating

  bombing

campaign

 in

 the

 city

 of

 Aleppo

 that

 has

 lasted

 for

 over

 a

 week

 leaving

 more

 than

 300

 people

dead,

  many

  of

  them

  children.

  She

  condemns

  the

  unabated

  use

  of

  airstrikes

  by

  the

  Syrian

Government

  on

  civilian

  areas.

  The

  reports

  of

  the

  use

  of

  'barrel

  bombs'

  known

  for

  their

devastating

 effects,

 especially

 in

 densely

 populated

 civilian

 areas,

 are

 particularly

 worrisome.

The

 High

 Representative

 recalls

 the

 importance

 of

 respecting

 international

 humanitarian

 law

in

  all

  circumstances.

  The

  UNSC

  Presidential

  Statement

  on

  the

  humanitarian

  situation

  in

  Syria

of

 2

 October

 should

 be

 implemented

 as

 rapidly

 as

 possible

 by

 all

 sides.

The

 High

 Representative

 calls

 for

 an

 immediate

 cessation

 of

 violence.

 She

 urges

 all

 parties

 to

stick

  to

  their

  commitments

  to

  participate

  in

  the

  'Geneva

  II'

  political

  process

  to

  start

 on

  22

January,

 and

 which

 the

 EU

 has

 consistently

 supported."

__________________

FOR

 FURTHER

 DETAILS:

Michael

 Mann

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 @EUHighRepSpox

Maja

 Kocijancic

 +32

 498

 984

 425

 -­‐

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 298

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 70

 -­‐

 [email protected]

 @AshtonSpox_Maja

Sebastien

 Brabant

 +32

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 75

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 98

 -­‐

 [email protected]

Nabila

 Massrali

 +32

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 75

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 [email protected]

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بيان المتحدث باسم الممثلة العليا كاثرين أشتون يدين حملة القصف الجوي للنظام السوري على حلب التي قتلت أكثر من 300 شخص.