Aleppo, Syria – The Aleppo Governorate announced today the opening of two urgent humanitarian corridors to facilitate the evacuation of civilians trapped in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods. This comes amid escalating clashes and shelling around the Kurdish-majority areas of the city.
“Beams” and “Flowers” corridors
The governorate stated that it had received appeals from besieged families wishing to leave for safer areas in Aleppo. Accordingly, it was decided to open two safe corridors through the Al-Awarid and Al-Zuhur Street checkpoints for three hours, from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Syrian official sources accused the SDF forces of attempting to prevent civilians from leaving and using them as human shields. However, the forces controlling the two neighborhoods deny this, asserting that indiscriminate shelling is what is hindering civilian movement.
A bloody night and an escalation of airstrikes
On the ground, the Ashrafieh district witnessed the fiercest clashes after midnight last night. Factions of the Ministry of Defense and the Asayish forces used rocket launchers and heavy artillery, in addition to drones. The shelling also targeted the Bani Zeid and Shaqif neighborhoods, causing significant material damage and destruction to infrastructure.
The death toll (according to the Syrian Observatory)
According to the latest updates from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the escalation since last Tuesday has resulted in a heavy toll of casualties. The number has reached 15 dead, including 10 civilians: four women and two children in Kurdish neighborhoods, and three civilians in the al-Midan neighborhood. In addition, there are approximately 60 wounded, many of them seriously, including women and children. The victims also include one member of the Asayish (Kurdish security forces) and four members of the Syrian Ministry of Defense.
Warnings of a humanitarian catastrophe
Human rights organizations, most notably the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, have warned of the repercussions of this military escalation on trapped civilians. This comes amid shortages of supplies and basic services within the besieged neighborhoods. The opening of the corridors today is intended as a last-ditch effort to alleviate the humanitarian crisis. This is happening amid fears that fighting will resume as soon as the three-hour deadline expires.
