Photo credit: UNHCR / S. Rich / April 2013
The news out of Syria is beyond horrifying. Bombs have decimated Aleppo as government forces laid siege to the city. Reports from the ground say that people, including women and children, have been shot in the streets and in their homes.
Thousands of Syrians, including many children, have nowhere to turn. Our local partners — whom I can’t name for their own safety — tell us that thousands of people are trapped in a small, besieged pocket of the city, fearing death at any moment. News has just broken of a ceasefire and a planned evacuation. Thousands of lives depend on this fragile promise.
This carnage must end. We echo the calls of our on-the-ground partners to demand a lasting ceasefire and a real, effective humanitarian corridor to evacuate civilians. And the international community must urgently increase humanitarian aid, including lifesaving food and medicines, for women and families fighting for their lives.
Since the violence started in Syria more than five years ago, MADRE has partnered with grassroots Syrian women’s organizations to provide urgent care for women and families. Thanks to our courageous on-the-ground partners, we’ve been able to get aid into hard-hit places like Aleppo. We stand committed to continue our vital work. And we can do this because we have your support.
Thank you for standing with MADRE and our grassroots partners, and for being an important ally in our work towards peace.
Yifat Susskind
MADRE Executive Director
P.S. Our partners asked us to share their demands far and wide. Please forward this message to your friends and family. And you can call the State Department at (202) 647-9572 to keep up the pressure for immediate humanitarian evacuations from Aleppo.
