Call to Save Aleppo from Destruction

The situation in Aleppo has taken a turn for the worse since the beginning of June. Dozens of mortar bombs have damaged or completely destroyed buildings in the predominantly Armenian neighborhoods of Nor Kyugh and Suleimanieh, as the opposition intensified its offensive in areas of Aleppo held by regime forces.

The missiles targeting “Nor Kyugh” have not only cost lives and casualties but a vast amount of material losses as well. Many apartment buildings have collapsed while others have been completely destroyed. Hundreds of Armenian families have been forced to leave their homes; some have left Aleppo and have tried to find refuge in a more safer seaside city of Latakia. Armenian residents in the targeted neighborhood have moved in with relatives in neighboring areas and those who have no other place to go, have found refuge in the courtyard of Nor Kyugh’s Armenian Church of Saint Gregory the Illuminator. Nowadays, Aleppo’s everywhere is becoming unsafe.

Many Armenian buildings, Churches, Schools, businesses and stores have been abandoned and many are in dire need of renovation and during the fighting, a major pipeline supplying water to Aleppo was badly damaged. The largest in Syria, with a population of about three million is now suffering from shortages of drinking water. Unfortunately, People are buying bottled drinking waters from shops.

We direct a call to all Armenians and non-Armenian friends and colleagues that the “Nor Kyugh” neighborhood is now considered a disaster zone and calls on everyone to use any means to stop the inhumane missile attacks in order to secure the physical safety of the people who have suffered because of the disaster.

We call on all governments, especially Western nations, who are supporting the opposition forces to immediately use their leverage to halt the attacks on Armenian neighborhoods. Those governments which do not work to end the operations will be considered accomplices in the anti-Armenian attacks and all other crimes.