British public petition government for Syria food drops

Over 20,000 people have signed a petition calling on the British air force to drop aid to starving civilians in Syria, as hundreds face death under regime blockades.

MENA

2 min read

The New Arab

09 January, 2016

Hundreds of Syrians are at risk of death from disease and starvation [Anadolu]

A petition calling on the UK government to start aid drops to people starving in Syria has gathered over 20,000 signatures, which means that London must respond to the call.

The appeal addresses the urgent need for food and medical aid to reach starving civilians in Madaya, Douma, Idlib and other besieged areas of Syria.

"Whilst the civil war in Syria continues and every effort is made militarily to bring it to an end as soon as possible the UK has an armed forces very capable in humanitarian missions," the petition says.

The UK government responds to all petitions receiving more than 10,000 signatures, and considered for debate in parliament any that receive more than 100,000.

It might reach its end goal of having MP debate Royal Air Force aid drops into Syria, after receiving 20,000 signatures in just one day.

"We must feed these people. They are suffering from a brutal civil war and from brutal armies, air forces and regimes that that have no morals and are starving the innocents of war," the petition says.

It follows calls by the Syrian opposition to the international community earlier this week for their help in breaking the Bashar al-Assad's regime siege of three Damascus suburbs - by force if necessary.

Members of the opposition called on Western powers, currently bombing Islamic State group territories, to instead direct their aircraft on besieged areas and make food drops.

Syria Solidarity, for example, asked the UK airforce to drop food and medical supplies on Madaya.

Around 90,000 civilians are trapped in Madaya, Moadamiyeh and Zabadani.

Humanitarian aid to these districts has been blocked and the situation has deteriorated over the past weeks.

Hundreds are now believed to be at risk of death from disease and starvation.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said earlier today that due to the size and complexity of the operation aid is unlikely to reach Madaya and the beseiged towns of Fuaa and Kafraya in the northwest of the country before Sunday.