The twin U.S. goals in Syria have been ending the violence that already has claimed some 400,000 lives, according to United Nations estimates, and seeking a political process to replace Assad, whom President Barack Obama has said “must go.”But while Washington and Moscow have both expressed hope they can find a way to cooperate against IS, Kerry’s proposal was already in trouble due to the competing objectives of the Cold War-era foes as well as resistance from USA military and intelligence officials.USA officials questioned Russian and Syrian claims that their aim in evacuating civilians from Aleppo was to clear the way for humanitarian assistance to reach the besieged city, where 200,000-300,000 civilians remain with only two to three weeks of food on hand.”Why would you evacuate a city that you wanted to send humanitarian aid to?” asked one official”.
Advertisement
He said three corridors will be open for civilians and fighters who lay down their arms and a fourth corridor will provide fighters a “safe exit with weapons”.
“Russia and Syria’s humanitarian gesture will be more credible if their relentless indiscriminate attacks on eastern Aleppo stop and civilians can safely leave the city”, Houry said. Shoigu mentioned three humanitarian corridors as well as food and first aid points outside the city.
Aleppo, which was once Syria’s largest city, is now divided between rebel control in the east and government control in the west.
Russian Federation said three humanitarian corridors will be opened around Aleppo “to aid civilians held hostage by terrorists and for fighters wishing to lay down their arms”. “Something extraordinary, like the rebels for instance managing to open a corridor for us toward the liberated rural areas”, he said.
The Russian and Syrian air forces have extensively used banned cluster munitions since the end of May, especially around Aleppo, killing and injuring dozens of civilians, Human Rights Watch said Thursday.
Assad has issued amnesty offers several times during Syria’s civil war, now in its sixth year.
Staffan de Mistura says the city is “de facto” besieged after Russian-backed Syrian government forces and their allied troops closed in on Aleppo’s main rebel enclave.
The Syrian military has been air-dropping leaflets into the city’s east calling on residents to cooperate and fighters to surrender.
The announcement came as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad offered an amnesty to rebel fighters who handed over their weapons and surrendered over the next three months. Assad has previously offered amnesty to rebels or deserters, and commuted sentences for various offenses.
But the humanitarian corridor proposal has been met with skepticism from some worldwide organizations.
Britain’s U.N. Ambassador Matthew Rycroft is backing a U.N. call for 48-hour weekly humanitarian truces to allow desperately needed aid into embattled Aleppo but says “the Russian idea of corridors is an interesting alternative proposal”.
Residents in rebel-held neighborhoods in the city’s eastern sections have told CNN that they are going hungry, and have received text messages from the regime telling them to leave.
Regime planes on Thursday dropped flyers showing a map with the location of these humanitarian passages, he said, as well as small aid packages, an AFP correspondent said.
On the political front, the envoy has said he hopes that peace talks aimed at finding a solution to end the Syria war could resume at the end of August. However, he said, “all options must be considered”.
300,000 people are struck in Aleppo. “Protection must be guaranteed for all according to the principles of neutrality and impartiality”.
Lund said if Assad cements his hold on Aleppo through a siege or even by retaking it in part or in full, “that could be the moment when certain foreign backers of the rebellion decide to call it a day”. United Nations under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, Stephen O’Brien, told the Security Council on July 25 that food in eastern Aleppo is expected to run out by the middle of August.
Abu Ans, the administration manager of a besieged hospital, said Thursday that the situation was “very bad”.
“Most of the men – everyone here – is wanted by the regime”, said Haj.
“In reality they lack the legitimacy to make such an offer”.
Advertisement
“What we need urgently is a humanitarian pause in all areas of Aleppo affected by the violence”, said Robert Mardini, ICRC director for the Near and Middle East, on his return from Syria and Iraq. He says only two to three weeks of food supplies remain. “My understanding is the Russians are open for major improvements”, he said.
