DAMASCUS, (ST)- The government of the Syrian Arab Republic is fully ready to ensure the safety of the citizens who want to leave eastern Aleppo neighborhoods, a source at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates said Monday, stressing that government is also ready to meet the citizens’ basic needs and acceptable livelihood requirements.
The announcement confirms the government’s keenness on the safety of the people resident in eastern Aleppo.
According to the source, the government will also be ready to guarantee the safety of gunmen who want to leave the districts of eastern Aleppo to government-controlled areas as to hand over their weapons and get their legal status settled. Gunmen also have the opportunity to leave along with their light weapons to other places they chose.
The government is also ready to evacuate the wounded persons and provide them with necessary medical treatment in preparation to restore normal life to eastern Aleppo and allow the state service institutions to resume their tasks in providing all forms of services to the citizens who want to stay in their areas, the source said.
“The government has set up several safe corridors for this purpose and it is ready to discuss every initiative in this respect,” the source said.
On July 28, 2016, the Syrian government in cooperation with the Russian forces launched a major humanitarian operation in the city of Aleppo aiming to giving a helping hand to civilians in eastern Aleppo who have been used by the terrorists as hostages and human shields. The operation included opening safe corridors to help civilians as well as gunmen who want to lay down their weapons leave the area.
Hundreds of civilians left eastern Aleppo over the past few weeks through the set corridors. They were moved to makeshift centers equipped with all requirements. A number of gunmen also left the area and had their legal status settled.
Hamda Mustafa