“We suffered a lot to be able to come here”, a Syrian woman said.
Advertisement
The White House also voiced its doubts.
On Friday, the United Nations envoy to Syria said the corridors should be administered by the UN and that there should be a 48-hour ceasefire for people to leave safely.
Almousa said most of the villagers fled before the extremists retook al-Bouweir but the men who remained were killed.
Russia, a key ally of al-Assad, on July 28 announced the opening of humanitarian passages for civilians and surrendering fighters seeking to exit the city’s rebel-held eastern neighborhoods.
The United Nations, which has estimated that food will run out in the city within weeks, has also expressed reservations about the Russian operation, and insisted that the UN should be in control of any safe routes out the city. On Friday, from Aleppo’s western districts fled 85 civilians, and 29 militants surrendered to the Syrian authorities.
The civilians later boarded buses where they were taken to temporary shelters, state news agency Sana said.
“If the corridors could be used to allow aid into Aleppo, then that would be welcome”, he said. The brutal message to our people is – ‘leave or starve, ‘ ” HNC member Bassma Kodmani said.
The move was being made “to remove the excuse used by the worldwide community – spearheaded by America and Russian Federation – to bombard and displace Muslims in the Levant: that they are targeting the Nusra Front which is associated with al Qaeda”, said al-Golani.
“Why would you evacuate a city that you wanted to send humanitarian aid to?” asked a second official.
“Around 12 people managed to use the Bustan al-Qasr corridor before rebel groups reinforced security measures and prevented families from approaching the corridors”, said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman.
“Humanitarian corridors need to be well and carefully planned, and have to be implemented with the consent of parties on all sides”, Mardini said.
Dozens of families and some opposition fighters started leaving besieged rebel-held neighborhoods in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo on Saturday after the government opened safe corridors for civilians and fighters who want to leave, state media reported.
The U.N. envoy for Syria is offering a “suggestion” to Russian Federation over its proposal to set up humanitarian corridors around the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, advising Moscow leave the job to the United Nations. Making the announcement, UN Special Envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura noted that this is the core of the UN’s job.
“The regime, Iran and Russian Federation should have stopped the aerial raids if they have the smallest concern for humanity”, one resident said. Five people were killed, among them an infant.
“The ICRC is not a big fan of humanitarian corridors, because it always runs the risk that there is the concept of safe areas, and everything outside those safe areas becomes an area of non-respect for worldwide humanitarian law”, ICRC Middle East regional head Robert Mardini told reporters in Geneva.
Advertisement
State television quoted the governor of Aleppo as saying three humanitarian corridors would be established for residents to leave.
