generalspeaking

Death Central

"I don't care about Geneva. But I am using whatever chance I can to get aid to those poor people [inside the siege]. Any sane person would have cancelled the operation after yesterday [Saturday]. But we know there are people in need inside."
Khaled Erksoussi, head of operations, Syria Arab Red Crescent

Mortar and small arms fire met aid workers attempting to evacuate an area of Homs under siege. There was supposed to be a respected hiatus in any kind of attacks, in a ceasefire assured both by the regime and the opposition. On the third and final day of the break in hostilities agreed to at the final Geneva negotiating meeting brokered by Lakhdar Barhimi, chief UN negotiator, several hundred women, children and elderly men were brought to presumed safety out of the Old City.

According to the provincial governor, Talal Barazi, 420 "besieged people" were rescued over the three-day period. The deal struck in Geneva to permit humanitarian aid to reach starving people in Homs, and to allow people to choose to leave their years-long confinement met with some violent opposition that wasn't quite scheduled in the ceasefire agreement. On two of the three days involved, aid workers from the UN and volunteers from the Syrian Arab Red Crescent experienced mortar and sniper fire.

Nine civilians lost their lives, and dozens of people were wounded in these breaches of the ceasefire.
In video footage the flash and boom of mortar rounds hitting the ground metres from an aid convoy spell out the picture of danger in trust. Two trucks were destroyed in the bombardment and five civilians who had left the 'safety' of their homes to receive food and medical supplies died during the violence that wasn't supposed to happen.

Once again on Sunday aid workers attempted entry to the Old City and once again heavy fire was directed at them. It takes unbelievable courage to carry on in these life-threatening conditions. It takes a commitment to fellow countrymen  surpassing the hatred of other fellow countrymen who have taken to destroying the lives of the exploited and vulnerable.

The UN humanitarian operation aimed to deliver medicine and food to around 2,500 

Videos released show hundreds of dishevelled, gaunt people suffering privation after 600 days of being besieged -- where government forces ensured that no food, potable water or medicines were permitted in, depriving them of sustained, even meagre basic existence needs -- emerging along a rubble-strewn street. They were ushered toward  UN vehicles meant for their evacuation when a mortar exploded, and the emaciated people ran in panic for the UN vehicles.

Opposition activists said four civilians were killed, waiting to be evacuated. Vehicles bringing small amounts of humanitarian aid into the Old City were permitted entry, but trucks carrying larger quantities of aid goods were denied permission to enter the area. One aid worker advised that the shelling on the Old City came from the direction of a district of Homes loyal to the Assad regime.

The National Defence Force, a pro-regime militia was said to have been behind the attack.

The National Defence Force Facebook pages hit out angrily at the ceasefire and the agreement to permit aid into the Old City, their argument being that this would "feed the terrorists". The opposition representatives in Geneva have come under criticism for their incapacity to control rebel groups. And nor does it appear that the regime has much interest in controlling the activities of its volunteer army.

"We are saying to all the parties: leash your subordinates", Mr. Erksoussi of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, said.

People inspect the rubble of destroyed buildings following reported air strikes by government forces in the city of Aleppo.

Labels: Atrocities, Conflict, Syria

posted by Pieface @ Tuesday, February 11, 2014