UNICEF Urges A Halt To Attacks In Aleppo, U.N. Rep Shares Of Mother Killing Own Baby To Spare Misery

The representative for UNICEF in Syria spoke out on Saturday for an end to the attacks that have caused a “dire” situation in northern Aleppo that have resulted in horrendous physical and psychological impacts on both sides of the city that is divided due to rebel forces.

It is reported that United Nations agencies are on “standby” to deliver assistance needed by those affected, as Hanaa Singer of the U.N.’s children agency stated to the Associated Press. The U.N. Security Council has failed once more to agree on the next step to take to bring an end to the violence in the city which has been ravaged by war, along with the nation of Syria as a whole.

Russia vetoes UNSC resolution that demanded halt to Syrian air attacks and called for access for humanitarian aid. https://t.co/hwHXwJnPZY

— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) October 9, 2016

A resolution was put forward by Russia which called for a separation of the moderate forces and extremists in Syria, yet did not mention a halt to the bombing in Aleppo. The resolution failed to get the minimum nine “yes” votes required. Key powers, therefore, remain divided and the violence rages on.

Syrian state media and a Syrian monitoring group shared that pro-Syrian government troops advanced in the northern portion of eastern Aleppo, attempting to take control from rebel fighters and push forward into the area that remains in rebel power.

Singer shared about the horrible conditions and violence that is ongoing within the city of Aleppo, as the AP relays.

“Singer said conditions in besieged Aleppo are ‘terribly dire,’ with hospitals hit, doctors overwhelmed, and over 100 children killed in bombings since Sept. 19. Conditions for thousands of displaced in the government-held part of the city are also deteriorating, with some of them being displaced for up to six times in the last three years, she said.”

The U.N. representative returned this week from a trip to the government-held part of Aleppo. She visited thousands of Syrians who were displaced from homes, sharing that most are living crammed into mosques, parks, and churches after escaping the clashing between the rebels and government forces. Singer shares a heartbreaking story involving a mother who chose to stab her own baby girl to save her the misery of living on handouts and while homeless.

“These (are) the horrors in western Aleppo. God knows what is happening, (in the case of) mental health or the psychological situation on the eastern (rebel-held) side.”

The rebel-held portion of Aleppo, which is the eastern side, is only separated from the west by a few meters and sometimes simply a single plastic sheet or dilapidated building. It is estimated that 275,000 people are living on the rebel-held side of the city and have had no international assistance to the area since the beginning of July. It is also difficult to even determine the needs due to the ongoing violence and the lack of access for the aid groups to help civilians.

“I think we all agree, and especially if you have been so close in the area there and seeing the dire situation in the west, hearing about the horrible situation in the east, all we need now is (for) the violence to stop,” Singer said. “The violence has to stop and once the violence stops, the U.N., we absolutely stand ready. We are ready. We are actually on standby.”

Singer relays that the United Nations have plans in place for government-held Aleppo to assist residents in evacuating the besieged portion of the city if a ceasefire does take effect.

UNICEF calls for end to ‘dire’ situation in Aleppo https://t.co/baAqS7KmHC pic.twitter.com/1J7z80vITS

— CP24 (@CP24) October 8, 2016

Since the relentless bombing began three weeks ago after a breakdown in the ceasefire between Russia and the U.S., 320 people have been killed and all eight hospitals have been hit along with water stations and civil defense centers.

“In eastern Aleppo, the situation is terribly dire. Lots of schools and hospitals have been hit we understand that there are only 30 doctors there. We have information that at least over 100 children have been killed. We hear that because of the lack of services and lack of health facilities that some children, that doctors can’t cope with all the cases, and some children in dire situation are left to die,” Singer said.

[Featured Image by Ahmet Sik/Getty Images]