Russian Defense Ministry Surprised by Lack of Assistance to Aleppo Civilians from UN

MOSCOW- Russia’s Defense Ministry is surprised by a lack of assistance to civilians in Aleppo from international organization, though the city has been liberated from militants for a month already, spokesman of the Russian Defense Ministry Major General Igor Konashenkov said on Saturday, according to Itar Tass.

“Surprisingly, after the period of super-close attention to Aleppo from international organizations, involved in humanitarian demining, a month later there are no initiatives to offer assistance to the people in that city,” he said. “Is the UN authority on demining and the Geneva international center for humanitarian demining aware of the fact working in Aleppo since mid-December does not risk lives, and all roads to the city are absolutely free and safe? They do know, for sure.”

 This is also well known to UNISEF representatives and to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, which are the UN key bodies for assistance to children and adults, who suffer from military actions, he added.

And still, the general continued, as yet main assistance to people in Aleppo comes from the Russian center for reconciliation of the warring parties, from the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent. The civilians receive regularly medical supplies, food, water, hygienic goods and warm clothes. They also receive medical assistance.

On this background, bewilderment arises with the abruptly “dropped” topic of assistance to Aleppo civilians from international humanitarian organizations and the central Western media, which for a month now already – as if following an order – continue keeping silence.

“It gives the impression that many international organizations, which earlier as if were ‘breaking through’ with humanitarian assistance to seized Aleppo, now that the city is recaptured have all of a sudden lost any interest to it along with the desire to offer assistance,” the defense ministry’s spokesman said.

H.M