December 15, 2016…As the delayed evacuation from the remaining opposition-held part of Aleppo appears to have begun, Save the Children is urging the immediate transfer of injured and orphaned/separated children to safe areas.
Thousands of children are believed to be trapped in East Aleppo, a significant number of who need urgent medical treatment after being injured or suffering illnesses which can’t be treated in the besieged area. Our partners reported that during the intense escalation in violence following the collapse of the ceasefire yesterday, dozens of injured children were arriving at the remaining hospitals which didn’t have the means to treat them.
Witnesses also reported the use of deadly cluster bombs on Wednesday morning, which Save the Children has previously warned disproportionately kill and maim children.
Rami*, an aid worker with our partner organisation Shafak, said yesterday that the damaged medical facilities were crowded with women and children. He told us that patients are presenting with complicated injuries, and are unable to be treated.
Rami* said, “Everyone is attending with women and children. They [medics] are receiving children injured with the cluster shrapnel. The hospital can do nothing. They are totally paralyzed under these circumstances.
“The hospital has five people with abdominal injuries in need of operations, two others need vascular operations, five need orthopedic surgery and seven need neural operations. Most of them are dying because they can’t look after them. Right now there are seven surviving on one manual ventilator because there is no oxygen.”
Our partners also report that many children have either been orphaned or separated from their families in the chaos of the recent military advances. Children on their own are incredibly vulnerable in this context.
Nick Finney, Save the Children’s North-West Syria Country Director, said, “Children in East Aleppo are injured, distressed, malnourished and weak. They are hiding by day from the ongoing attacks and facing temperatures of -4°C at night with no fuel to keep warm. They must be evacuated today without any further delays to areas where we can reach them with aid and support.”
Among those waiting for evacuation are around 300 humanitarian workers from Save the Children’s partners, who are still trapped in the siege with their families.
Helle Thorning-Schmidt, Save the Children International’s CEO, said, “There have been many painful setbacks in Aleppo, resulting in death and suffering at each turn for civilians, but today there may be a ray of hope. Children, the injured and aid workers of Aleppo cannot wait any longer. We must safely evacuate the remaining civilians immediately. Battlefields are no place for children. The protection of civilians and humanitarian aid cannot be used as a bargaining chip in political or military negotiations.”
Save the Children has pre-prepared supplies and staff in some of the areas where families are being brought to, including 10,000 food baskets and 30,000 medical kits.
ENDS
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