Polish Head of Red Cross reports from Syria
15:22
Poland’s Paweł Krzysiek, Head of Communications for the International Red Cross, has expressed his concern for trapped and fleeing civilians as the military conflict begins a new chapter following the complete takeover of Aleppo by President Assad’s forces. The city has been the center of some of the most intense and destructive fighting of the six-year civil war, but on Wednesday there were reports that an official ceasefire was being negotiated between the government and rebels. “I really hope this deal will materialize because the suffering of civilians on both sides has been immense, Krzysiek told TVN, from Aleppo. “We need to depoliticize the process of protecting civilians. We need to put their lives first. And we need to do it now before it too late,” he added.
On Wednesday morning, reports from the international press in Aleppo indicated that fighting in the city had ceased, following large aerial bombardments which had resulted in government forces, and its allies Russia and Iranian militias, overtaking the eastern sections of the city. The rebels had been holding out in eastern Aleppo for several weeks.
