“Everyone must contribute to putting the maximum pressure on Assad in order to avoid another massacre”, commented Minister for Foreign Affairs Giulio Terzi, expressing his deep concern over the “disturbing” news of the government forces’ siege of the city Syrian of Aleppo. The Italian Cooperation has already launched emergency interventions on the ground on behalf of the weakest segments of the civilian society, especially children, and the Italian government is considering additional humanitarian aid.
Refugees on the rise
In this double-edged war being fought with words and weapons, only one thing is certain: the toll it is taking on civilians forced to dodge the bombs and bullets either by hunkering down in their homes or by heading for the closest border. Jordan officially announced the opening of its first refugee camp near the border with Syria, from which, according to Amman, from 1,000 to 2,000 persons are being added every day to the more than 140,000 already present in that country. Just in the past few days 200,000 have fled the fighting in Aleppo, according to Valerie Amos, head of UN humanitarian operations.
Paris to call Security Council meeting
According to an announcement from French foreign minister Laurent Fabius, France, which takes over the presidency of the UN Security Council in August, plans to call an emergency foreign ministers’ meeting on Syria.