At the meeting of the United Nations Security Council on 24th February 2018, it was concluded that the war in Syria be brought to a halt, for the protection of the people of Syria, through the access to emergency humanitarian aid and medical evacuation; this was decided to be achieved through a 30-day ceasefire.
Turkey took the position not to comply with the ceasefire, claiming that the council’s decision did not cover the Afrin area. However, the council made it clear in their decision that the 30-day ceasefire should cover Syria in its entirety and that means including Afrin. In response to Turkey’s attitude, Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, followed by United States representatives and the foreign ministers of the European Union including Germany, spoke out in favour of the decision that the council’s decision covers the whole of Syria including Afrin and that Turkey must comply with the ceasefire. Nevertheless, Turkey continues its attacks including air strikes against the city of Afrin.
Turkey’s attack on Afrin has no legal basis nor is it legally justifiable under the Law of Armed Conflict. The Turkish forces there have continuously been attacking and targeting civilians and civilian residential areas, and thus have been committing war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Afrin had been one of the only areas to maintain relative peace, safety and stability during the Syrian conflict; it has become home to hundreds-of-thousands of refugees and internally displaced peoples; now the Turkish forces are causing grave devastation and forcing thousands to become homeless. So far, hundreds have been killed and injured by the attacks evidenced in several international human rights and aid organisations’ published reports. The people of Afrin are in great need for all the help and aid they can receive, most crucially, medication, shelter and food.
We urgently request the following:
1. Utilising of all your relations and institutions, to bring the ceasefire to Afrin like the other areas of Syria.
2. To form an aid convoy under the auspices of the United Nations in order to send aid to Afrin and for United Nations relief workers to be placed in Afrin in order for all aid organisations to be formed and settled.
3. For the blockade to be lifted immediately, in order for Afrin to receive the aid and relief it needs, comfortably without dispute.
In the hope the necessary steps will be taken promptly,
Kind Regards,
Note: To obtain true information about what is happening in Afrin currently please follow: https://icafrinresist.wordpress.com/