Highlights
- Eastern Aleppo city officially classified as a besieged location
- Attacks on hospital continue - Al-Sakhour hospital rendered out of service
- Access to water across Aleppo city further diminished due to hostilities persist in the vicinity of the main water station
- Reports of negative coping measures continue to emerge, with significant psychological impact on the population
Situation Overview
Hostilities in eastern Aleppo city continued unabated during the reporting period. Living conditions for the 250,000 – 275,000 people further deteriorated as more casualties were reported and more civilian infrastructure has been adversely affected in the past 72 hours.
On 29 September, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Stephen O’Brien, delivered a statement to the Security Council on Syria, in which he described the situation as the ultimate humanitarian shame, and specified eastern Aleppo city as a living testimony to the suffering of the Syrian people.
Mr. O’Brien classified eastern Aleppo city as a besieged location given that it meets the criteria which includes: (1) being military encircled; (2) lack of humanitarian access; and (3) lack of freedom of movement for civilians. Finally, the statement called on the Council to act immediately and take whatever steps necessary to end this violence.
The High Commissioner for Human Rights issued a statement which stated - “The current operation by the Syrian Government and its allies appears to be intended to force the surrender of fighters in eastern Aleppo by any means necessary. This apparent aim is reflected in a pattern of attacks that have damaged or destroyed objects that have special protection under international humanitarian law, including medical units and structures vital for people’s well-being such as water-pumping stations; and attacks that have killed and injured people involved in providing humanitarian assistance,” he added.
During the reporting period, attacks on vital infrastructure continued. On 3 October,
Al-Sakhour hospital was badly damaged by airstrikes for the third time in a week.
During this attack, rockets directly hit the hospital building which caused parts to collapse. Builders where trying to repair the damage the hospital sustained in the previous attacks. Sources in eastern Aleppo city reported that the seven people were killed as a result, which included five construction workers and two staff members.
In Western Aleppo, during the month of September, the Directorate of Health reported 81 casualties, including 32 children and 15 women, and 470 injured people in September.
After a city-wide electricity cut from 1 to 3 October both, Bab al-Nairab and Suleiman Al-Halabi pumping station stopped their water supply and consequentially left almost 1.7 million people in both eastern and western Aleppo with no access to pumped water. The water situation across Aleppo city is of grave concern. Since 30 September, hostilities increased in the vicinity of the Sulaiman Al-Halabi water station. Local authorities in charge of the Sulaiman Al-Halabi water station shut off the electrical power to the station to prevent extensive damage should hostilities impact the water station directly. The electricity has since resumed, insecurity continues to prevent maintenance work on the pumping stations. Despite rumours of an agreement to withdraw combatants to allow the station reactivate service, armed clashes continued in its vicinity. There are some boreholes in eastern Aleppo city which are operational. Civilians walk up for 1 – 2 kilometres to fetch water. In western Aleppo City, people are receiving water through water trucking from the public private wells.
Availability of food commodities is decreasing steadily. The food available is increasing in price. Whatever small amounts of food families still have, the lack of kerosene and propane cooking gas in the eastern part of the city makes it difficult to cook what food is left. Reports of civilians rummaging through the rubble of destroyed buildings to salvage any flammable material that can be used for cooking are common.
Diesel and petroleum fuel have become increasingly scarce in eastern Aleppo city. Poor-quality fuel, which is made from burning plastic, is available in limited amounts.
At present, a litre of diesel fuel is approximately 1,300 SYP/2.25USD and a litre of petroleum fuel is set at 7,000 SYP/13.7 USD.
The psychological and emotional health of the besieged population is reportedly steadily worsening. One humanitarian partner reported that a mother of a one-month baby expressed regret for giving birth to her child under the current difficult circumstances. Moreover, arguments among spouses have reportedly increased as many women are blaming their husbands for choosing to stay while it was possible to leave the city.
