ALEPPO 04 December: fuel returns at unaffordable prices, employees are still without salaries.

The availability of goods continues to decline, and resource prices skyrocket, along with the number of people in need of food support. The distribution begins to have difficulty in helping all those who apply; The priorities are children and the elderly.

Today some petrol is available again, but only for the wealthiest: the price of a litre of fuel today is equivalent to about a tenth of an average salary, and there are few who can afford it, also because the employees have not received their November salary. The little they have, people use to try to find food, and the danger of hunger becomes more and more real.

To cope with the situation, the opposition forces are trying to normalize life in the city, to offer a new image of themselves to the world that observes them: they have begun to clean the streets of the garbage that had accumulated, they bring supplies of various kinds, they are willing and eager to build a climate of tolerance and coexistence. However, this does not reassure people: “What if there were to be bombings on civilians? What if the tolerance shown today were to turn into discriminatory laws tomorrow?” “Should I leave or stay?”

The uncertainty of the present remains firm in the city of Aleppo and in the whole of Syria, while the anti-government militias make their way towards Hama.

ALEPPO 03 December: a new water shortage on the horizon, telephone communications are interrupted.

Today, in Aleppo, the frequency of bombings and gunfire seems to have eased slightly; However, this does not mean that the situation is calm. Some foodstuffs are beginning to run out, and people are starting to hurry to collect everything that can feed them, starting with bread: many of the active distribution points in the city are emptying quickly, the fear of the lack of incoming supplies is great.

It seems that there will be no water again, no one knows until when: it seems that the availability depends on the ongoing negotiations with the Kurdish forces. Even telephone communications are now interrupted, and only the internet line remains to keep Syria in touch with the outside world.

Our non-emergency activities are suspended for the moment, waiting to understand what will happen; In the meantime, the distribution of bread and food to families in need continues, drawing on our stocks still available on site.

ALEPPO 02 December: Franciscan College hit, endless escapes from Aleppo to safer areas.

An airstrike hit the Holy Land College, located in the northwestern area of the city. “The missile hit the monastery warehouse,” says our local colleague Jacob, “but fortunately there are no casualties.”

The food problem is one of the most painful points of the possible developments of the situation, especially after the blockade of the roads. “At the moment,” Jacob continues, “we are facing power outages and water shortages; despite this, the production of bread in the bakery continues. I visited the bakery just this morning: we still have stocks of 2,000 kg of flour, and we hope it will last.”

The roads out of the city continue to be blocked by the immense exodus of displaced people: “It took me more than 18 hours to get out of Aleppo and reach the western countryside of Homs,” explains our colleague Anton. “There were cars of all kinds, police vehicles, fire trucks and many soldiers: it seemed that the government had completely evacuated the city. Today there was an attack on the Haftat Baghdad station, near the center of Aleppo, and airplanes have been heard flying over the city all day.”

“Now there is a need for food,” Anton continues: “There is almost no bread left, the quantities available are very limited. The same goes for fuel. There has been no water for three days. The population is suffering a lot because of this situation”.

ALEPPO, December 1st: the city is occupied by jihadist forces from Tahrir al Sham and Kurds.

Thousands of people fleeing. Aid is needed to:

  • Support for displaced families in Aleppo and Hama, arriving in the cities of Lattakia and Damascus, with help for accommodation in convents, reception centers and rented houses.
  • Help to these displaced families with warm food and blankets for the next month, and medicines for the most sensitive cases.
  • Cooking and help for food and medicine for the families left in Aleppo. There are fears of an increase in prices (although electricity actually remains stable).
  • Production and distribution of bread in Aleppo for the remaining families, both in the west and in the east.

By proterrasancta.org