(September 22, 2016) — Monday’s direct attack on a humanitarian convoy delivering life-saving aid to Aleppo marks a descent to new depths of inhumanity. As world leaders gather this week in New York, the world’s eyes are on them and history will judge their response to this criminal act.
Deliberate attacks on humanitarian workers and civilians are war crimes. This must mark a turning point: the UN Security Council cannot allow increasingly brazen violations of international humanitarian law to continue with impunity.
Heads of state are gathered in New York this week for the United Nations General Assembly. Each one that accepts a lack of accountability for perpetrators and facilitators of war crimes colludes in the ongoing dissolution of international humanitarian law. These are the laws that project a common vision of humanity across the globe. They protect us all: to lose them would be to forget the lessons of both world wars and return to a time of darkness and anarchy.
Witnesses interviewed by Amnesty International said a variety of aircraft, including helicopters and Russian-made fighter jets, took part in the bombardment. We call on the Security Council immediately to request the UN Secretary-General to launch a swift investigation – and report back to the Security Council within a week – in order to identify the perpetrators definitively and make recommendations on holding them to account under international law. Those who commit such crimes must understand that they cannot continue to do so with impunity.
For five years, we have seen leaders repeatedly condemn the widespread violations of human rights and international humanitarian law by parties to the conflict in Syria. Yet they fail time and time again to hold perpetrators to account. Over and over again, the world has watched while civilians are deliberately killed and starved, hospitals are bombed and aid workers are attacked. What further horrors will Syrians to be subjected to before we reach another red line?
Signed by:
- Abrar Halap Association for Relief and Development
- Action Aid International
- Ahl Horan
- Al Seeraj For Development And Healthcare
- Amrha
- ASML – Association de Soutien aux Médias Libres
- Association for Aid and Relief (AAR), Japan
- Attaa Association
- Attaa for Relief and Development (ARD)
- Balad Syria Organization
- Basmet Amal Charity
- Baytna Syria
- Big Heart Foundation
- Bihar Relief Organization
- Binaa Organization for Development
- Bonyan
- Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS)
- CARE International
- CCFD – Terre Solidaire
- Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC)
- Center for Victims of Torture
- Christian Aid
- Collateral Repair Project
- Collectif des Amis d’Alep
- Comité d’Aide Humanitaire au Peuple Syrien – ComSyr57
- Damascene House Foundation for Society Development
- Deir Elzzor United Association (FURAT)
- Dorcas
- Education Without Borders (MIDAD)
- Emaar AL Sham Humanitarian Association
- Enjaz Development Foundation
- ETM
- EuroMed Rights EMHRN
- Ghiath Matar Foundation
- Ghiras Al Nahda
- Ghiras Foundation
- Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect
- GOAL
- Hand in Hand for Syria
- Help 4 Syria
- Human Care Syria
- Human Rights & Democracy Media Center (SHAMS)
- Humanitarian Relief Association (IYD)
- International Rescue Committee
- Ihsan for Relief and Development
- iMMAP
- Independent Doctors Association (IDA)
- Insan for Psychosocial Support
- International Supporting Woman Association (ISWA)
- Irtiqaa Foundation
- Karam Foundation
- La Vague Blanche pour la Syrie
- Local Development and Small-Projects Support (LDSPS).
- Maram Foundation for Relief & Development
- Masrrat – The Syrian Establishment for Human Care and Enhancement
- Mercy Corps
- Mountain Foundation
- MRAP – Mouvement contre le Racisme et l’Amitié entre les Peuples
- Najda Now
- Nasaem Khair
- Norwegian Refugee Council
- Nuon Organization for Peacebuilding
- NuDay Syria
- Orient
- Oxfam
- People in Need
- Physicians Across Continents (PAC)
- Physicians for Human Rights
- Protection Approaches
- Qatar Red Crescent Society
- Qitaf Al Khair Relief Association
- Saed Charity Association
- Save A Soul
- Save the Children
- Secours Islamique France
- Sedra Association For Charity
- Shama Association
- Sanabel Al Khair
- Social Development International (SDI)
- Solidarité Saintonge Syrie
- Solidarités International
- SUDO UK
- SUHA -Urgence Solidarité Syrie
- Syria Charity
- Syrian Expatriate Medical Association (SEMA)
- Syria Relief
- Syria Relief
- Syria Relief and Development
- Syria Relief Organization
- Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS)
- Syrian Education Commission (SEC)
- Syrian Engineers For Construction and Development Organization (SECD)
- Syrian Expatriate Medical Association (SEMA)
- Syrian Institute for Justice
- Syrian Medical Mission
- Syrian Network for Human Rights
- Syrian NGO Alliance (SNA)
- Syrian Orphans Organization
- Takaful Alsham Charity Organization
- Tuba Dernegi
- Unified Revolutionary Medical Bureau in East Gouta
- Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations (UOSSM)
- Union Of Syrians Abroad
- Violations Documentation Center in Syria (VDC)
- Violet Organisation
- War Child Holland
- War Child UK
- White Hands – Beyazeller
- Win Without War
- Women for Development
- World Vision
– END –
About World Vision:
World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization conducting relief, development, and advocacy activities in its work with children, families, and their communities in nearly 100 countries to help them reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. World Vision serves all people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender. For more information, please visit www.WorldVision.org/about-us/media-center or follow us on Twitter @WorldVisionNews.
Highlights
- A statement by over 100 Syrian, regional and international humanitarian and human rights organizations on Monday’s attack on a humanitarian convoy in Aleppo
- Attack comes as world leaders meet in New York for the UN Summit
- This year has also brought cases of hospitals being bombed and civilians deliberately starved and killed