Besieged: Syrian regime cuts off key supply route into rebel parts of Aleppo

[uhnope]

Source: South China Morning Post

Syrian government forces on Sunday besieged rebel-held parts of the northern city of Aleppo after severing the last supply route into eastern areas, sparking concern for tens of thousands of civilians. The United Nations said an estimated 300,000 people live in the rebel-controlled neighbourhoods of Syria’s second city, and fears are mounting that they could face starvation.
...
OCHA said “the situation is particularly worrying due to the high concentration of people living in this area”, who it said have not received humanitarian supplies since July 7. “It is imperative that we respond to acute needs through predictable and sustained access to people in need,” it said.

The Syria Campaign, which calls for humanitarian action in the war-ravaged country, was more blunt. “The siege of eastern Aleppo has started,” said the group’s James Sadri. “There are an estimated 300,000 civilians there, penned in and attacked by their own government. Without access to the outside world it is only a matter of time before we see starvation cases as in other parts of Syria.”
...
The Syria Campaign’s Sadri blamed the Syrian government and its ally Russia for Aleppo’s predicament. “Hundreds of thousands of civilians are being trapped, starved and barrel bombed in Aleppo by Assad forces with help from Russia,” he said.

Read more: http://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/1991275/besieged-syrian-regime-cuts-key-supply-route-rebel-parts

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White Helmets Civil Defense workers assist an airstrike victim in Aleppo: 17 July 2016

[Yupster]

1. This war ended when Putin sent in forces

The rest is just mopping up.

Our job is to get our allies out if we can and protect the Kurds.

The rest of the story is already written.

[Igel]

3. "There is no military solution."

Are you claiming those who said such things were stupid or merely naifs?

[uawchild]

4. The civil war is far from over

With continued outside support from both sides, it could and would go on forever unless sanity breaks out and a negotiated peace is reached.

[Yupster]

5. I don't know? Naive?

Backed by Russian airpower and supplies, Assad will take back the country piece by piece.

Who's going to stop him?

We can still negotiate things like refugees and and setting up a corridor for anti-Assad people to leave the country. Hopefully we are working on some way to protect the Kurds. They don't deserve to be abandoned.

But this war is decided. It was decided when Putin acted.

[uawchild]

2. It's past time for a negotiated peace

This brutal civil war has been allowed to drag on for too long by external nations more interested in their own geopolitical interests.

These include Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Russia and the US.

All funding of all combatants should stop immediately. A brokered peace settlement that protects the rights of women and religious minorities must be reached. There is simply no military "solution" to this civil war.

[Yupster]

6. Except there is a military solution to the Civil War

Do you not see it happening day by day town by town?

Assad is going to retake the country. Hopefully we have a plan to protect Kurdistan.

Saying it shouldn't happen will not stop it from happening.

Russia is not going to stop funding Assad. You demanding him to do it isn't going to make him.

There is indeed a simple military solution. Putin and Assad win.

[uawchild]

7. At least 38 civilians killed in rebel fire on government-held part of Syria's Aleppo

Rebel shelling into government-held parts of Syria's second city Aleppo killed at least 38 civilians on Saturday, a war monitor said, as Syrian government forces continued their offensive to completely encircle rebel-held parts of the city.

Those killed included 14 children and 13 women, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights conflict monitor said.

Despite a now-expired three-day ceasefire announced by the Syrian army earlier this week, Syrian government and allied forces advanced this week towards the only route into the opposition half of the city, the Castello Road.

Syrian forces are now 500-1000 meters away from the road, sources say, bringing the road within firing range and trapping between 250,000 and 300,000 people in opposition-held parts of Aleppo.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-aleppo-idUSKCN0ZP0FP