US, Britain, France lead call for ceasefire in Aleppo

The US and five other countries, including Canada, France, Germany, Italy and the UK, on Thursday called for an immediate ceasefire in Aleppo asserting that a humanitarian disaster is taking place in the Syrian city, and accused Russia of blocking emergency help and efforts to halt the atrocities. “The urgent need now is for an immediate ceasefire to allow the United Nations to get humanitarian assistance to the people in eastern Aleppo and to provide humanitarian relief to those who have fled eastern Aleppo,” leaders of the six countries said in a joint statement issued by the White House. 

“A humanitarian disaster is taking place before our very eyes. Some 200,000 civilians, including many children, in eastern Aleppo are cut off from food and medicine supplies. Aleppo is being subjected to daily bombings and artillery attacks by the Syrian regime, supported by Russia and Iran,” they said. Noting that the opposition have agreed the UN’s four point plan for Aleppo, they said the regime needs to agree to the plan too. 

“We call on the Syrian regime to do this urgently to alleviate the dire situation in Aleppo; and call on Russia and Iran to use their influence to help make this happen,” the joint statement said. Russia, they alleged, is blocking the efforts of UN Security Council, which is therefore unable to do its work and put an end to the atrocities. “The regime’s refusal to engage in a serious political process also highlights the unwillingness of both Russia and Iran to work for a political solution despite their assurances to the contrary,” the statement said.