Increasing humanitarian crisis in Aleppo
The battle for Aleppo has sparked a sharp exchange between Russian and American officials, as the city itself faces a growing humanitarian crisis.
State Department spokesman John Kirby, asked what the implications of a collapse in ties between the US and Russia in Syria would be, answered that “extremists and extremists groups will continue to exploit the vacuums that are there…which will include, no question, attacks against Russian interests, perhaps even Russian cities, and Russia will continue to send troops home in body bags.”
Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov reacted sharply, saying they show the US is backing terrorists in Syria.
“His words are the most frank confession by the US side so far that the whole “opposition” ostensibly fighting a civil war in Syria is a US-controlled international terrorist alliance,” he said in a statement. “What makes Kirby’s statement particularly shocking is that the scale of direct US influence on terrorists’ activity is global, and that it reaches as far as Russia.”
The sharp exchange comes as the humanitarian situation in Aleppo, where 250,000 civilians are trapped, is worsening. According to UNICEF, at least 96 children have been killed and 223 injured in eastern Aleppo in the past week.
“The children of Aleppo are trapped in a living nightmare,” UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Justin Forsyth told The Media Line. “There are no words left to describe the suffering they are experiencing.”
He said the health system in Eastern Aleppo is crumbling and there are only 30 doctors left. There is almost no equipment or emergency medicine. He said doctors in Aleppo told UNICEF that children with low chances of survival are often left to die due to limited capacity and supplies.
The British – based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that either Russian or Syrian airstrikes hit the town of Anadan, just north of Aleppo, and put its last remaining bakery out of service. On Wednesday, government shelling near a bread distribution center killed six people.
As the conflict rages in Aleppo, analysts say that Syrians are growing increasingly frustrated with the international community for not doing more to end the fighting.
“It’s looking like Russia and the US are going to decide to keep (Syrian President Bashar) Assad in power,” Renad Mansour, an expert on Syria at Chatham House told The Media Line. “But many Syrians are asking themselves what was the point of this? It’s been five years, and hundreds of thousands of people have died. You are getting so much more conflict because many people, especially those in the opposition, are uncertain about their future.”
Syrian government troops and Russia have launched an all-out assault on Aleppo since the cease-fire broke down earlier this month. Aleppo, which was Syria’s largest city before the war, has been almost destroyed, although rebels continue to hold part of the city.
US officials said the Obama Administration is continuing tougher responses to the Russian-backed assault but would not give any details.