30,000 Flee Aleppo, ICRC Appeals To All Sides To Protect Civilians

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 2 (Bernama) -- Head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Syria, Marianne Gasser, is appealing to all sides fighting in Aleppo to strive in protecting the civilian population amid the escalation of violence in Eastern Aleppo. She said that in the last few days, at least 30,000 people have fled to the West of the city, while countless others are expected to have escaped in other directions as the number was likely to rise by tens of thousands. "The people who are fleeing take a lot of risks. There is shelling, explosions and sniper fire. People have left behind virtually everything," she said in an ICRC statement. "They must be guaranteed protection and safe passage. We appeal to all sides to ensure this. We at the ICRC are ready to help, but it's up to those who are involved in the fighting to protect civilians," she stressed. The ICRC and Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) were granted access to Masaken Hanano, one of the districts in East Aleppo, in order to assess the living conditions of those who decide to return once it was possible to do so. The Geneva-based organisation said that many of the people who managed to flee were from Hanano area, Haydaryee, Inzarat, Beedeen, Sakhour, Shaar, Katrji, Jabal Badro and other areas in Eastern Aleppo. They were then transported by the authorities to two collective shelters of Jibreen and Mahalej where the SARC, the ICRC and other local organisations have been responding with basic humanitarian aid. The SARC also dispatched mobile medical teams to treat the sick, injured and malnourished and work 12 hours per day. Since Nov 27, they have treated over 2,500 people. As the shelters lack basic amenities, the ICRC and SARC installed emergency water tanks and sanitation facilities, provided food, blankets and mattresses. As the situation evolves, the organisations are scaling up their response to deal with new arrivals. "We saw buses arriving with people, more and more people. Hundreds were arriving every hour while we were there. Conditions are very difficult. People are in shock. They're tired and cold, many of them are still covered in dust and need medical help. It's heart-breaking. "It's all very basic. First of all, we need to ensure dignified conditions for these people. One of the shelters is a cotton factory, a huge hangar where some 15,000 people will expect to be accommodated," Gasser said. --BERNAMA