Christian Alliance Issues Urgent Plea to Protect Aleppo’s Kurdish Neighborhoods

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Amid intensifying violence in Aleppo, the Christian Alliance in Kurdistan Region issued an urgent appeal calling for an immediate end to violations and the protection of civilians in the city’s Kurdish neighborhoods, warning that Yazidi families face existential threats under conditions of siege, indiscriminate shelling, and forced displacement.

The call came in an emergency statement released by the Christian Alliance addressing what it described as serious dangers confronting Yazidi families living in Aleppo, particularly in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods.

In its statement addressed to global public opinion, the UN Security Council, and the Arab League, the Christian Alliance said it was closely following with “deep concern” the dangerous developments unfolding in Aleppo. It highlighted urgent appeals issued by hundreds of Yazidi families residing in Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh, warning of severe risks threatening their presence as a result of forced displacement, siege, and random shelling targeting residential areas.

According to the appeal cited by the alliance, more than 1,200 Yazidi families are facing catastrophic humanitarian conditions, amid growing indicators that widespread violations could occur, potentially amounting to war crimes or ethnic cleansing in the absence of protection and safe corridors.

Call for international intervention

The Christian Alliance urged the international community to intervene immediately, naming the UN Security Council, the Arab League, the European Union, human rights bodies, and UN organizations as key actors. It called for an immediate halt to military operations and indiscriminate shelling in residential neighborhoods, stressing that civilian areas must not be transformed into battle zones.

The alliance also demanded the establishment of safe humanitarian corridors to evacuate trapped civilians, serious diplomatic pressure on the warring parties to stop violations and armed clashes, the dispatch of neutral international investigation teams to document abuses, and firm guarantees to protect Yazidi families and prevent any repetition of genocide.

Regional security concerns

The statement warned that continued deterioration of the humanitarian situation could trigger new waves of displacement and migration, lead to the collapse of the social fabric, fuel chaos and extremism, and pose a threat to regional stability. It stressed that targeting civilians on the basis of religious or ethnic identity constitutes a crime against humanity and requires international accountability under UN charters and the Geneva Conventions.

Solidarity and political stance

The Christian Alliance declared its full solidarity with besieged Yazidi families and voiced grave concern over the repetition of past tragedies in which civilians were directly targeted in conflicts unrelated to them. It also welcomed what it described as the clear humanitarian stance expressed by Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani in a recent statement, in which he emphasized that political disputes must not be used as a pretext to endanger civilian lives or commit ethnic cleansing.

Renewing its call for peaceful solutions, the alliance urged all Syrian parties to commit to dialogue, respect the rights of all components, and avoid violence that serves only chaos and extremism. It stressed the need for a comprehensive political solution that guarantees stability, protects minority rights, and prevents any attempt at forced demographic change.

In a direct appeal to global conscience, the Christian Alliance said: “Save the Yazidi families before it is too late. Stop the shelling and siege immediately. Protect civilians from the danger of genocide.” The statement recalled that Yazidis suffered ethnic cleansing and a brutal genocide at the hands of ISIS more than a decade ago, noting that the wound remains open and that the international community must put an end to the suffering of the peaceful Yazidi people.

The appeal comes amid continued military escalation in northern Syria. According to a statement by the Syrian Democratic Forces, the closest point between Aleppo’s Kurdish neighborhoods and SDF forces is the Dayr Hafir area. The SDF said that the al-Amshat faction affiliated with the Damascus government shelled the center of Dayr Hafir with artillery and mortar fire, targeting a populated area without causing reported human or material losses.

At the same time, SDF forces said they thwarted a terrorist attack carried out by an ISIS cell targeting one of their military positions in the town of al-Marashida in eastern Deir ez-Zor countryside. The attackers reportedly used an RPG launcher and automatic weapons, but the force said it responded swiftly and decisively, foiling the attack without casualties or damage. Following the incident, SDF units launched a wide security sweep to prevent further infiltration attempts.

The SDF said the simultaneous nature of the shelling and the attempted ISIS attack reflected parallel efforts to undermine security and stability, reaffirming that its forces would continue pursuing terrorist cells and taking all necessary measures to protect civilians and maintain regional security.

As violence escalates in Aleppo and humanitarian fears deepen, the Christian Alliance warned that silence and inaction could lead to irreversible consequences, urging immediate international intervention to protect civilians and prevent another unfolding tragedy.