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[Kolx]

Rebel-held eastern Aleppo could face “total destruction” by Christmas and thousands could die if the current assault on the city is not stopped, the UN’s special envoy to Syria has warned.

Staffan de Mistura told reporters in Geneva that he was prepared to go to the besieged area of the city and personally escort al-Qaeda-linked fighters out himself in an appeal to stop the current bombing campaign by Russian and Syrian forces.

“The bottom line is in a maximum of two months, two and a half months, the city of eastern Aleppo at this rate may be totally destroyed. We are talking about the old city in particular,” he said, adding that “thousands of Syrian civilians, not terrorists, will be killed”.

Approximately 250,000 people are thought to trapped in east Aleppo – where rebel supply lines were cut off by President Bashar al-Assad’s troops in July. A renewed aerial and ground campaign to retake opposition-held areas has left hundreds of civilians dead, according to the UN, and damaged hospitals, water plants, and bakeries.

“There is only one thing we are not ready to do: be passive, resign ourselves to another Srebrenica, another Rwanda, which we are sadly ready to recognise written on that wall in front of us, unless something takes place,” Mr de Mistura said.

Syria, backed by Russia, says it is targeting militants in the city who use civilians as human shields. Mr de Mistura said that the presence of about 900 former or current Jabhat al-Nusra – now calling themselves Jabhat Fateh al-Sham – fighters did not justify the destruction that has been wrought on the city in the last two weeks following the collapse of a US-Russian brokered ceasefire. He said that there were about 8,000 fighters in eastern Aleppo in total.

Mr de Mistura also warned that history would judge decision makers in Damascus and Moscow for the misery imposed on east Aleppo’s citizens through the fighting.

“Thousands ... will be killed and many of them wounded ... This is what you, we, the world will be seeing when we will be trying to celebrate Christmas, or the end of the year if this continues at this rate, unimpeded. Homs multiplied by 50.” Homs is the rebel-held city recently completely retaken by the regime.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/syria-civil-war-al-qaeda-aleppo-latest-isis-assad-air-strikes-russia-assault-un-staffan-de-mistura-a7348446.html

 

[Ethelwulf]

This is so saddening. Can't imagine what it feels like living like that. We are so fortunate. 250,000 people "trapped" is insane.

 

[Derwind]

Pure and utter chaos, time and again, history is forced to repeat itself.

 

[sammyCYBORG]

How is levelling an entire city meant to stop terrorism?

It just creates more, and almost justifiably so.

If someone bombed by city to rubble I'd want them destroyed too.

Just madness.