Despite the Russian promise of a ceasefire, conditions in Syria continue to worsen. For five years, Aleppo has been a city of silence- the streets colorless, every still-standing building covered in a layer of debris from nearby collapsed buildings. The city experiences multiple airstrikes per day. Douma, Syria, has been under siege since 2013. On October 27, a school in Douma was hit by multiple airstrikes, leaving at least 35 people dead, the majority being children. Russia, taking part in many, if not all, previous attacks on Syria, denied having any involvement on the attack targeted at the school. 
In support of their ally, President Bashar al-Assad, the Russian Government became involved in the Syrian War on September 30, 2015, when the Russian air force began targeting rebel-held areas in the war-torn country. In a conference on Thursday, October 27, Russian President Vladimir Putin simply stated that Russia had no other option than to clear out “the nest of terrorists” in Syria. His statement was questioned by many, including White House spokesman Josh Earnest, who suspected either the Assad Regime or the Russians to be the force behind the attack. He added, “Even if it was the Assad Regime that carried it out, the Assad regime is only in a position to carry out those kinds of attacks because they are supported by the Russian government.”
Nagieb Khaja is a journalist and filmmaker who has been intrigued by the conditions in Syria for a long time and has reported on the country multiple times in the past. Once again, he traveled to the war-torn country- this time following a team of rescue workers who look for injured survivors after airstrikes. They work a busy, strenuous job, as most Syrian cities have been suffering over nine airstrikes every day for the past year. The workers live in what remains of Aleppo, a city torn to pieces by the constant attacks of the Assad regime as well as Russia, yet Nagieb Khaja has not come across a single rebel in all of Aleppo. “Where are the terrorists?” a rescue worker asked Khaja, in his harrowing coverage of the Syrian fighting, looking into the camera with fury in his eyes.
This exact question is one that concerns more than 80 human rights organizations: These including Human Rights Watch, CARE International, and Refugees International, which exemplify Russia’s gross disregard for civilian lives in Syria. They continue to urge the UN member states to drop Russia from the Human Rights Council, based on their possibly illegal actions in Syria, killing hundreds of innocent civilians, as well as targeting centers for education.
Nagieb Khaja stayed in the northwest of Syria for three weeks, experiencing the terror of war. On one day, 32 civilians were killed by Russian bombs in Aleppo alone, as human rights groups reported to him. After Khaja left Aleppo, he writes in an article for the Media Company Al Jazeera, that “the Russian bombing campaign escalated and regime troops began a major push to encircle and besiege the city,” Even worse, “Supply lines of food, fuel and medical equipment for civilians in the city have been cut.” The conditions in Syria continue to worsen, and the UN agrees that there is no end in sight unless Russia lays down their weapons.
Despite the Russian promise of a ceasefire, conditions in Syria continue to worsen. For five years, Aleppo has been a city of silence- the streets colorless, every still-standing building covered in a layer of debris from nearby collapsed buildings. The city experiences multiple airstrikes per day. Douma, Syria, has been under siege since 2013. On October 27, a school in Douma was hit by multiple airstrikes, leaving at least 35 people dead, the majority being children. Russia, taking part in many, if not all, previous attacks on Syria, denied having any involvement on the attack targeted at the school.
In support of their ally, President Bashar al-Assad, the Russian Government became involved in the Syrian War on September 30, 2015, when the Russian air force began targeting rebel-held areas in the war-torn country. In a conference on Thursday, October 27, Russian President Vladimir Putin simply stated that Russia had no other option than to clear out “the nest of terrorists” in Syria. His statement was questioned by many, including White House spokesman Josh Earnest, who suspected either the Assad Regime or the Russians to be the force behind the attack. He added, “Even if it was the Assad Regime that carried it out, the Assad regime is only in a position to carry out those kinds of attacks because they are supported by the Russian government.”
Nagieb Khaja is a journalist and filmmaker who has been intrigued by the conditions in Syria for a long time and has reported on the country multiple times in the past. Once again, he traveled to the war-torn country- this time following a team of rescue workers who look for injured survivors after airstrikes. They work a busy, strenuous job, as most Syrian cities have been suffering over nine airstrikes every day for the past year. The workers live in what remains of Aleppo, a city torn to pieces by the constant attacks of the Assad regime as well as Russia, yet Nagieb Khaja has not come across a single rebel in all of Aleppo. “Where are the terrorists?” a rescue worker asked Khaja, in his harrowing coverage of the Syrian fighting, looking into the camera with fury in his eyes.
This exact question is one that concerns more than 80 human rights organizations: These including Human Rights Watch, CARE International, and Refugees International, which exemplify Russia’s gross disregard for civilian lives in Syria. They continue to urge the UN member states to drop Russia from the Human Rights Council, based on their possibly illegal actions in Syria, killing hundreds of innocent civilians, as well as targeting centers for education.
Nagieb Khaja stayed in the northwest of Syria for three weeks, experiencing the terror of war. On one day, 32 civilians were killed by Russian bombs in Aleppo alone, as human rights groups reported to him. After Khaja left Aleppo, he writes in an article for the Media Company Al Jazeera, that “the Russian bombing campaign escalated and regime troops began a major push to encircle and besiege the city,” Even worse, “Supply lines of food, fuel and medical equipment for civilians in the city have been cut.” The conditions in Syria continue to worsen, and the UN agrees that there is no end in sight unless Russia lays down their weapons.
By Tasina Westberg
The Claw 