A truck convoy delivering humanitarian relief supplies was attacked overnight near Aleppo, Syria. The following statements come to us from our humanitarian relief partner in Syria and a CARE manager based in nearby Turkey.
“After 7:00 P.M., airstrikes started bombing heavily and aid convoys were targeted. Many of the convoy’s trucks were destroyed, and even the trucks that were not destroyed were damaged because of shrapnel. The convoy that was heading to Aleppo and supposedly from there to other towns had not entered the city yet, never being able to reach the communities who were waiting desperately. Now no other convoys are expected to come anytime soon, even the ones that had been planned will no longer take place because they are now afraid of being targeted. The communities in besieged and hard to reach communities in Aleppo and in other places have not received any of the aid they have been anticipating and now will have to wait even longer.”
– A CARE partner working in northern Syria.
“The situation around Aleppo is more dire than ever now. The eastern part of Aleppo has been besieged and cut off from regular aid for several months, and now, after the outrageous attacks on civilians and aid workers that happened yesterday, resulting in UN aid suspension throughout Syria, the western part of the city is suffering from the same destiny. Aleppo is just one of the many areas in Syria suffering under siege and daily violations of humanitarian law and principle. CARE partners on the ground struggle to deliver assistance, particularly in northern parts of Syria nearby Aleppo and Idleb. They often have to risk their lives to reach out to vulnerable communities under bombardment and airstrikes. Sometimes they are cut off from phone reception, electricity, and basic essential means of communication for several consecutive days. Humanitarian aid workers should never be a target.”
— Maithree Abeyrathna, CARE program manager for cross border activities in Turkey