The Aleppo Project
ALEPPO UNDER SIEGE
Following months long battles over al-Mallah Farms in northwestern Aleppo, regime forces have descended onto the Castello Road and cut off the only supply route for eastern Aleppo. Now an estimated 300,000 Aleppians join another 1 million Syrians living under complete siege. Meanwhile the bombing that never stopped for a few years intensified.
“Al-Assad forces and Russian airplanes are trying to control this road to besiege Aleppo … Those civilians are in danger of a lack of food, medicine and everything. And all the world is silent towards these things. These crimes.” Make-shift Aleppo University lecturer AbdulKafi Alhamdo spoke to ITV about the siege.
Air strikes on July 23 destroyed 5 hospitals and a blood bank
Regime and Russian airstrikes on Aleppo City and the nearby town of Atareb rendered five hospitals and a blood bank inoperable.
Relief destroyed by air strikes. Photo: Ihsan Relief & Development
Airstrikes on July 24 destroyed a warehouse where 10,000 food baskets were kept in preparation for the siege. The warehouse was operated by Ihsan Relief and Development.
Al-Salheen Mosque after an air strike. Photo: Halab Today TV July 26
Cultural heritage was again targeted. An air strike on July 26 destroyed 12th Century al-Salheen Mosque in the south of Old Aleppo.
Eight Russian air strikes targeted the Atareb market as shop owners were closing. Dozens were killed.
Earlier, on July 18, International Coalition airstrikes had killed over 70 civilians in ISIS-held Tokhar Kabir in the eastern countryside of Aleppo. On their Facebook outlet, al-Sultan clan published names and photos of eight whole families who died in the bombing.
Aleppians queuing for bread. Photo: Karam Almasri
Signs of food shortages appeared as early as July 14 as Aleppians stood in long queues to buy bread, as images by AFP photographer Karam Almasri show.
ACADEMICS AND CIVIL SOCIETY RESPOND
“We now know the pattern of besiegement in Syria and so we know what is to come in Aleppo.” The Aleppo Project: Aleppo Under Siege.
Press Release: Launch of the Aleppo Pathway Initiative
Syrian activists and civil actors launched a the Aleppo Pathway initiative to coordinate support for people trapped inside Aleppo. “The door remains open for any individual, institution, or organization that feels a sense of responsibility towards the situation in Aleppo to get involved in this initiative.”
Syria Under Siege
Syria Pressure Advocacy Group (SPAG), a group of Syrian and international activists, called for worldwide protests against the sieges in Aleppo and the rest of Syria.
Budapest joined.