Multifaith Alliance for Syrian Refugees Urges United Nations Security Council to Act Swiftly to Stop
Nation’s leading interfaith coalition calls upon philanthropists to donate desperately needed CT scans
(New York, NY - August 9, 2016) – Multifaith Alliance for Syrian Refugees (MFA), the nation's leading faith-based coalition comprised of more than 60 faith-based and humanitarian organizations, is calling upon the United Nations (UN) Security Council to take swift action to stop the indiscriminant killing by barrel bombs of women and children in the besieged city of Aleppo – the largest city in Syria, and throughout this war torn country.
MFA supports its participating organization, the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) and its Doctors Zaher Sahloul and Samer Attar, who presented graphic photos and heartbreaking eyewitness testimony about the worsening medical crisis facing civilians in Aleppo at yesterday’s Arria- formula meeting of the UN Security Council: “Aleppo Under Siege: Syria’s Latest Tragedy Unfolds.” Rabbi Eric J. Greenberg, MFA’s Director of Communications, Programs and Interfaith, joined SAMS at the extraordinary Security Council session and discussed the worsening situation with UN Ambassadors.
In gripping detail, the two SAMS doctors warned Security Council members that as of yesterday, there are no functioning CT scans in the entire city of Aleppo, preventing doctors from saving lives.
In response, MFA today is calling upon philanthropists to provide life-saving CT scans to the handful of functioning Aleppo hospitals, to help doctors save the lives of children and pregnant women being critically injured by barrel bombs. The doctors stated there are only about five hospitals left to serve a city with now only 300,000 people because the Assad regime with Russian support has targeted and destroyed most of the city’s hospitals, which they called a war crime.
“The few remaining doctors in Aleppo need CT scans now, and we urge those with access to these machines to work with us to deliver them,” Rabbi Greenberg said. “The Multifaith Alliance for Syrian Refugees strongly supports the Syrian American Medical Society Foundation’s (SAMS) doctors Sahloul and Attar in their herculean efforts to bring the truth of what is happening in Aleppo directly in front of the United Nations and world leaders.”
The graphic and heartbreaking photos they presented of Aleppo babies, children and pregnant mothers maimed and killed by barrel bombs raining from the skies, is devastating and heart wrenching. As Ambassador Power stated, after watching these devastating photos, world leaders have no plausible deniability about the death and destruction in Aleppo.
“As the faith leaders of the Multifaith Alliance for Syrian Refugees, we are called to bear witness to the suffering of the Syrian people and stand in solidarity with their children, elderly, women and patients,” Rabbi Greenberg said. “As was learn today - despite the latest headlines - the siege of Aleppo has not really ended. “
MFA Founder Dr. Georgette Bennett said: “The continued devastation in Syria is unacceptable and we will not be silent in the face of these evil atrocities. We condemn evil and barbaric tactics of war, and demand action from the international community. We demand a permanent end to the siege of Aleppo and communities across Syria, the safe passage of humanitarian aid and access to the city of Aleppo, and most importantly, the protection of civilians, hospitals, schools, and houses of worship.”
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