“Italy supports the proposal by UN Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura to put an end to the destruction of East Aleppo and to the suffering of the population, and it deserves the support of all the parties concerned,” said the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Paolo Gentiloni. “It is not an easy attempt but the dramatic situation of Aleppo dictates the need for everybody to support it,” he added.
“The exfiltration of the eastern district of Aleppo of the hundreds of Al-Nusra fighters that besiege it in exchange for ending military operations, opening humanitarian corridors and maintaining the current civil administration of the city right now represent perhaps the only way to assure protection to the more than 250,000 citizens still in Aleppo and the enforcement of international humanitarian law while, at the same time, tackling the knotty issue of terrorism.”
“In this context the role played by the UN is crucial to guarantee the respect of the agreements, including – where possible – through a direct presence in East Aleppo. It is a precise obligation, first of all moral, to support it without reservations, with the collaboration of all the parties involved.”
