Joint Statement on Civilian Casualties in Afrin, Syria

The United Nations Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for Syria, Mr. Imran Riza, and United Nations Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis, Mr. Kevin Kennedy, strongly condemn the horrific bombing that has reportedly claimed the lives of dozens of civilians in Afrin, northern Syria.

On Tuesday, 28 April, a bomb blast from a fuel tanker exploded in a crowded street in Afrin city. Early reports indicate that several children were among as many as 40 civilians killed in the indiscriminate attack, and at least as many civilians were injured.

Mr. Riza and Mr. Kennedy express their profound condolences to the families of the victims and those affected by today’s attack. After nine years of crisis, civilians living in Syria have already endured suffering and deprivation for far too long.

Mr. Riza and Mr. Kennedy emphasize the obligation upon all parties under International Humanitarian Law to ensure the safety of civilians and civilian infrastructure. They further urge all parties to heed the calls of the UN Secretary-General Mr. António Guterres and UN Special Envoy for Syria Mr. Geir O. Pedersen for a full ceasefire, as an essential measure to enable communities to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.

For further information:

Danielle Moylan, Spokesperson OCHA Syria, moylan@un.org +961 81771 978 David Swanson, Spokesperson OCHA Regional Office for the Syria Crisis, swanson@un.org +962 791 417 882

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs To learn more about OCHA's activities, please visit https://www.unocha.org/.