The EU humanitarian initiative for East Aleppo has thus far gone unheeded because none of the wounded have been evacuated (see EUROPE 11637 ). The EU deplored this situation on Tuesday 25 October and repeated its appeal for international humanitarian law to be fully respected in Aleppo and throughout Syria.
In a joint statement, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini and Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides stated: “At the end of the humanitarian pause declared by Russia in Aleppo, no agreement has been reached on the medical evacuation of wounded civilians…There are thousands of people in need of urgent humanitarian assistance”.
They point out that on 21 October the European Council asked them to continue pursuing the EU's humanitarian initiative in East Aleppo and they therefore “reiterate the urgency to allow humanitarian deliveries in parallel with the evacuation of the injured civilians, in accordance with international humanitarian law”. This must be done while ensuring the safety and security of humanitarian and healthcare personnel during aid delivery and medical evacuation. Mogherhin and Stylianides also called on “the Syrian authorities and their allies” to renew the humanitarian pause in Aleppo. The EU says that “all parties must demonstrate unequivocally a genuine commitment to allow humanitarian aid operations to address the urgent needs of Syrian civilians and to provide safe and unhindered access to humanitarian organisations across the country”. All parties must also stop the shelling of civilians immediately. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)