Statement by High Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini and Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides on increasing violence in West Aleppo

Over the past 72 hours many civilians, including children, have been reportedly wounded and killed in neighbourhoods in West Aleppo. We reiterate our call on all sides to refrain from indiscriminate violence against civilians and civilian infrastructure. Shelling civilian targets is unacceptable and, if proven deliberate, may constitute a war crime.

Any escalation of the conflict puts the lives of hundreds of thousands of Syrians in further danger and is hindering the efforts of the international community to provide humanitarian aid, as well as to support a political solution to the conflict. 

The priority in Aleppo, and in the rest of Syria, must be to stop the violence and allow humanitarian workers immediate access to do their job safely. The European Union is working with the United Nations to let humanitarian aid inside Aleppo and to evacuate the sick and wounded.

There is no military solution to this conflict, and every new escalation can only prolong the suffering of all Syrian people.