‘Let the children of Qusair free’ says World Vision

World Vision International is increasingly alarmed at the plight of between 20,000 and 30,000 mostly children and women civilians trapped for days in the middle of the fierce battle for control of Qusair in north western Syria. 

“There must be safe passage provided immediately for civilians who are mostly children and women. They cannot wait for the end of military action. Many will be killed or injured if they are kept trapped in the middle of this war zone”, said Conny Lenneberg, World Vision’s regional leader for the Middle East.

World Vision calls upon all parties to ensure children in Qusair are protected in line with International Humanitarian Law and the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child and the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions on Children and Armed Conflict.

All military actors must take immediate measures to safeguard children and other civilians from both direct attack and the indirect effects of armed conflict.

They must ensure that children and other civilians are able to physically move away from combat areas. 

All civilians, especially children, in need of medical care must now have safe access to adequate care without reprisal.

All parties to the conflict must immediately provide humanitarian access for the provision of essential services to children and their families 

“The plight of these children trapped for days under the most intense bombardment must be a wake up call for the world to stop ignoring international law and the rights of children”, said Lenneberg, “we must all demand their safe passage out.”

It is vital, as conflict in Syria continues, that all parties involved provide a safe and secure environment for civilian-led life-saving aid to be delivered by humanitarian organisations , in an impartial manner, based on independent needs assessments, to all vulnerable people, on all sides of the conflict.

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