Concern Worldwide CEO calls for urgent voluntary evacuation of Aleppo

Press release14 December 2016

Dominic MacSorley, Chief Executive of Concern Worldwide, is calling today for the urgent evacuation of civilians from Aleppo.

What is happening in Aleppo is barbaric. Innocent children, women and the elderly are trapped in Aleppo, terrified for their lives, under constant attack, with absolutely no hope. They are desperately trying to get the support of the international community through posts on social networks. How can the international community stand by and let this happen?

The planned ceasefire has not happened. There is shelling again this morning in Aleppo and the international community is standing by watching this horror. However we still have a chance to save lives.

I’m appealing to all parties involved to work together to allow the urgent voluntary evacuation of civilians and ensure that human rights are respected.

Concern Worldwide is calling for the following measures to be implemented urgently.

Voluntary evacuation to a place of safety for civilians, humanitarian workers and combatants to the destinations of their choice without being the subject to detention, interrogation or persecution. All attempts to provide a safe access passage for civilians and humanitarian aid workers have failed while tens of thousands of civilians, including children and old men and women, are still besieged and in danger of losing their lives because of bombing, starvation or cold weather.
Urgent peace talks. While the focus is rightly on Aleppo now, we call for peace talks to end the fighting there and throughout Syria. Until fighting ends everywhere, the risk of civilians going from one place to another and facing terror is very high.

Concern Worldwide has been working inside Syria since 2013. The organisation is reaching over 200,000 Syrians with water, sanitation and hygiene programmes preventing the spread of cholera and other waterborne diseases. The organisation provides basic immediate assistance to displaced families including blankets, tarpaulins, solar lamps, jerry cans and sleeping mats. Concern’s teams are also distributing food baskets and food vouchers to families.