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Release: Syrians want international action to stop the bombs in Aleppo
Tuesday 11th October 2016 — Syrian civil society groups including the White Helmets are calling on the international community to use ‘whatever means possible’ to protect civilians and end the bombardment of Aleppo.
In the context of today’s parliamentary debate Raed Al Saleh, the head of the White Helmets, said:
“We want the international community to find its conscience and to use whatever means possible to stop the bombs once and for all.
“Negotiations for the sake of negotiations do not help the Syrian people. The only way to stop the killing is to make sure that the criminal must bear a heavy cost for continuing his attacks. These bombs carry grave consequences for people living in Aleppo. They must begin to do so for those who are responsible.”
Over 100 children have been killed in Aleppo since the ceasefire broke down on September 19th, out of a total of 600 civilians killed. A new poll released today by Avaaz suggests that 64% of the British public supports a no-fly zone in Syria to protect civilians.
The Syria Campaign, an independent advocacy group, called on the British government to act. Its director James Sadri said:
“After five years of this horrific conflict, the tide may be turning in Parliament. It seems that politicians on both sides of the house are now seriously considering a no-fly zone to protect civilians and help bring peace to Syria.
“In today’s debate, MPs paid tribute the bravery of the White Helmets and others saving lives in Aleppo. But these rescue workers are not asking for our praise. They’re calling for international action to stop Russian jets and regime helicopters from killing civilians and destroying hospitals.”
“Only a credible threat of force will stop these war crimes and bring Assad and Putin to the negotiating table. We need a no-fly zone in Syria as the first step towards a negotiated peace deal.”
The Syria Campaign has produced a short factual briefing on Aleppo and the situation in Syria, which can be found here: https://diary.thesyriacampaign
ENDS
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NOTES:
The YouGov/Avaaz poll was conducted between October 6 and 7 with a sample size of 2006 adults in the UK, who were asked the following question:
Would you support or oppose an internationally enforced no-fly zone over Aleppo and parts of northern Syria, which would prevent aircraft from bombing areas where civilians may live?
Support: 64%
Oppose: 6%
Don’t know/no answer: 30%
The figures have been weighted and are representative of UK adults.