#Trending: Arab social media wakes up to Aleppo disaster

Social media users have rushed to express their outrage at the brutal bombardment of the last rebel resistance in east Aleppo, as the city finally fell into regime hands.

Narrated

2 min read

The New Arab

15 Dec, 2016

The trending Arabic-language hashtags have summed up the general sense of despair [Twitter/@kheroalhmoe]

As Syrian rebels in their last stronghold in east Aleppo made their final stand against the worst of the Assad regime's relentless bombardment, the Arab world suddenly woke up to the plight of the civilians caught in the fray of a month-long major offensive.

Arabs across the region this week have taken to social media to speak out against the senseless violence in Syria's second city, in which more than 600 civilians have been killed, 465 in the east and 142 in the government-held west.

The trending Arabic-language hashtags have summed up the general sense of despair among many people on Facebook and Twitter, these include #AleppoIsBeingExterminated, #TheWorldsConscienceIsDead and #ArabsSaveAleppo.

"Dear God, in Aleppo there is currently a mother crying from pain, a child from hunger, a girl for her honour, a brother from weakness and father from helplessness. Please God, reassure their hearts with victory," wrote one Twitter user.

Many Arab celebrities have also joined in to express their sorrow of the victims of the humanitarian crisis.

Syrian diva Assala wrote a Facebook post comparing the devastating regime and Russian bombardment of the city to the cruelty of the Mongol invasion of the Middle East.

Lebanese singer Ragheb Alama said: "When I see images of the war in Syria... one question comes to mind. Has the world not had its fill of shedding the blood and oppressing innocent people."

One Saudi football commentator tasted the anger firsthand, losing 200,000 followers on Twitter after he made a comment critical of his government's role in the bloody civil war.

"After five heated years, Saudi citizens' interaction with Arab events has dropped because they have lately discovered that the whole deal is an international conflict and political game. It's none of our business," Waleed al-Farraj said.

Saudi Twitter users shot back at the journalist's remark, launching an online campaign for a boycott of his television programme on broadcaster MBC.

In a sign of solidarity away from the keyboards, Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani ordered the cancellation of the country's National Day festivities because of the situation in Aleppo.