The president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Peter Maurer, has described the fight for the Syrian city of Aleppo as one of the most devastating conflicts in modern times. Fighting has been intensifying during the past weeks with hundreds of people killed and untold numbers injured. Public services have all but broken down. Tens of thousands are trapped and without aid.

“No one and nowhere is safe. Shell-fire is constant, with houses, schools and hospitals all in the line of fire. People live in a state of fear. Children have been traumatized. The scale of the suffering is immense. For 4 years, the people of Aleppo have been devastated by brutal war, and it is only getting worse for them. This is beyond doubt one of the most devastating urban conflicts in modern times,” said Mr Maurer.

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Highlights of the activities of the ICRC and the Syrian Red Crescent in Aleppo over the past two weeks.

Food:

  • Over 49,000 meals per day were distributed through eight collective kitchens in urban and rural areas of Aleppo Governorate, including over 13,000 meals per day for newly displaced families, 2,650 of which were in Western Aleppo;
  • Over 7,500 newly displaced people received parcels of canned food and other essential household items;
  • Over 10,500 bread packs were distributed daily through the Syrian Arab Red Crescent in Aleppo, mostly in rural areas.

Water:

  • 70,000 residents and displaced people received drinking water delivered by truck on a daily basis (500,000 litres per day);
  • 7,000 newly displaced people had their water needs covered thanks to the installation of 44 water tanks in 14 different locations.
  • 750,000 litres of drinking water were delivered to 2,000 patients in hospitals in Aleppo, and 3,000 water bottles were given to patients in dialysis centres.
  • 42 boreholes that the ICRC had installed in 2015 and 2016 were operational and would cover 58% of the population’s water needs in case of continuous water cut; the boreholes were monitored daily for problems or damage through mobile data collection; 22 boreholes received maintenance in the last three weeks.

Health:

  • Primary healthcare medicines for 15,000 patients were donated;
  • 50,000 bed nets were distributed to prevent leishmaniasis;
  • Drugs were provided to treat 15,000 people with scabies;
  • Medical kits were supplied to treat 300 wounded patients.