Urgent appeal from Nada Alliance demands end to genocide in besieged Aleppo neighborhoods

 The Regional Democratic Women's Alliance in the Middle East and North Africa (Nada) condemned the crimes and violations committed by the mercenaries of the interim government against the residents of the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods in Aleppo.

The Nada Alliance, in a statement issued today, pointed to the "crimes of the interim government against the residents of the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods, beginning with the imposition of a suffocating siege that lasted for months, before launching a brutal military offensive on January 6, 2026."

The statement explained that the interim government used "armed factions" as instruments of war, bombarding the neighborhoods with heavy weapons, rocket launchers, and drones. It noted that this offensive shattered all previous ceasefire agreements and all promises to protect minorities and the Kurdish people.

The statement highlighted the ongoing crimes and violations against the two neighborhoods, adding: "Today, after the factions stormed the neighborhoods, they were declared a military zone. All access points were closed, entry and exit were prohibited, electricity and internet were cut off, and thousands of families the majority of whom are Kurdish were plunged into the hell of hunger and suffering."

The statement quoted eyewitness accounts from the two neighborhoods confirming that "bodies are being collected by bulldozers along with the rubble," warning that... The risk of massacres and genocide remains, based on these "factions'" record of massacres against Alawites in the coastal region, against Druze in Swedia, and the burning of churches and attacks on the Christian community.

The statement also noted that these attacks on the two neighborhoods resulted in the indiscriminate killing of thousands of civilians, including women and children. It added, "The only crime is national identity, as every sect and community is classified as an 'enemy' according to the standards of Salafist jihadist factions."

In a related context, the Nada Alliance criticized the media's selective reporting of the true events during the attacks, warning that "the media's silence, selective coverage, and disregard for what is happening in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods are no less dangerous than the bombing itself."

The statement continued, "Media outlets that categorize victims according to their identities, choosing tragedies 'suitable for broadcast' and others to conceal, transform from conveyors of truth into accomplices in the crime."

The statement also condemned the "shameful international silence" and the inaction of UN institutions. The statement condemned the complicity of major powers that champion human rights while turning a blind eye to the siege and killing of civilians, asserting that "this silence can only be interpreted as a green light for the continuation of these crimes, and a clear message that the blood of some people is cheaper than that of others."

The Nada Alliance affirmed its rejection of the international community's silence and declared that it would not allow this catastrophe to pass without confrontation. It added that targeting civilians and committing mass killings constitutes a crime against humanity and must be met with relentless popular and international pressure.

The statement demanded the following:

- The immediate opening of crossings to allow the entry of relief and medical aid and to rescue the wounded.

- Guaranteeing the right of residents to return to their homes or leave them voluntarily, free from oppression and coercion.

- Establishing dialogue and negotiation as an alternative to the wars that have devastated both people and infrastructure, and ensuring the protection of civilians from all conflicts.

- Dispatching an independent international committee to monitor the situation in the two neighborhoods and establish communication channels with the besieged families to prevent retaliatory massacres.

- We call upon Arab, regional, and international media outlets to break their silence. Silence, selective reporting, and professional and ethically responsible coverage of events in the besieged neighborhoods of Aleppo are essential, respecting the victims' right to be heard and to justice.

We demand the opening of an international legal accountability process for the crimes committed, ensuring that those responsible do not escape punishment, as these are crimes against humanity.

The coalition concluded its statement by affirming: "We declare unequivocally that silence is complicity, delay is a crime, and solidarity is an uncompromising duty. Let us raise our voices and transform our anger into action, so that these neighborhoods in Aleppo are not left hostage to annihilation.

ANHA