Syria: ICRC delivers food to over 95,000 people in eastern rural Aleppo
Geneva/Damascus (ICRC) – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), working closely with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, yesterday delivered urgently needed food and other essential relief items to over 95,000 people living in areas directly affected by fighting in opposition-controlled eastern rural Aleppo.
"The residents of the areas where the deliveries took place yesterday have been living in distress for months," said Ghandi Elzain Mosaad, the Aleppo-based delegate who oversaw the operation. "Months of uninterrupted fighting means that basic necessities are scarce and unattainable for many families, especially those displaced by the violence."
The 39-truck convoy organized jointly by the ICRC and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent transported food and other aid to Red Crescent warehouses and various community distribution points in the opposition-controlled towns of Manbij, Al Bab, Maskaneh, Jarablos and Deir Hafer in eastern rural Aleppo. The trucks displayed the red crescent emblem.
Food was delivered for over 95,000 residents, including thousands of displaced people. Over 46,000 people also received mattresses, blankets, cooking utensils, rechargeable flashlights, towels, candles and water buckets. Over 4,000 children received school notebooks, pens and geometry sets.
The ICRC is reminding all parties of their obligation under international humanitarian law to protect and spare civilians at all times and to facilitate the safe delivery of neutral, impartial, and independent humanitarian assistance to all people directly affected by the fighting.
The ICRC has been assisting millions of people in Syria since the onset of the conflict over three years ago. Working in partnership with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, it provides over half a million people with food and other essentials every month.
For further information, please contact:
Ralph El Hage, ICRC Damascus, tel: +963 930 336 718
Nadia Dibsy, ICRC Geneva, tel: +41 22 730 37 23 or +41 79 447 37 26