President Bashar al-Assad (joined by Russian air support, Shia militias, Iran, Iraq, Afghan, Lebanon and Pakistan fighters) and his conflict with the rebels (majorly made up of Sunnis and receiving financial aid from the US, Saudi Arabia and Turkey) who want him out of the seat of power have caused chaos in the city of Aleppo. The city has become a warzone, a battleground – it has been since July 2012.
Current state
The Syrian government now have the rebels at the edge of defeat and the conflict nearing its conclusion – all at a great cost. Civilians suffer in the middle of the conflict, having to flee certain districts considered hotspots of the conflict, any areas seized by rebellion troops are suffering from food and fuel deprivation.
Escalating battleground
Aleppo, before the conflict, was the cultural, financial and industrial heart of the country. Being once Syria’s largest city and an untouched Unesco World Heritage site, with around 2.3 million citizens inhabiting the area, the desire for control on both sides is fierce
At the start of the rebellion against President Assad in 2011 Aleppo was left largely unaffected compared to the other towns and cities in Syria-until July the year after. An aggressive offensive was jump-started by the rebels with the objective to banish government control and forces over the northern parts of Syria.
Negligence
A division happened in Aleppo, at least half, with the rebellion controlling the eastern parts of the city and President Assad having his influence over the western parts.
For four years this conflict continue to progress with weak interventions from the UN to keep civilians safe or even manage to help create a peace agreement – negligence is now what the international community is being accused of by the citizens of Aleppo. Some citizens are even crying out in social media.
My name is Bana, I'm 7 years old. I am talking to the world now live from East #Aleppo. This is my last moment to either live or die. - Bana
— Bana Alabed (@AlabedBana) December 13, 2016
A UN Human rights spokesman has even gone to say that "Civilians have paid a brutal price..." although the citizens only reply to the sympathy with disbelief and distrust of the UN's capability to protect citizens from conflicts such as these.
A teacher trapped in Aleppo has filmed himself to say to the world that:
"I don't believe anymore in the United Nations, don't believe anymore in the international community..." - Abdel Kafi Al-Hamdo
The biggest international intervention so far has been from Russia. Ever since President Putin decided in September 2015 to act on military intervention and support the Assad regime, it boosted its military, political an moral support to Damascus – likely to gain stronger loyalty from an ally and as a show of power from a President who usually plays a weak hand.
In November, last month, Russia further increased the intensity of the intervention by launching warplanes an aircraft carriers stationed off the Syrian coast.
Sign of strength
Being the cultural, financial and industrial heart of the country – Aleppo became a key strategic point for both the Government and the rebels. Anyone who has control over the heart of those three factors is a great psychological symbol of who has actual control of the countries systems. If it was continued to be held by the rebels – it only shows their weakness.
The stark assessment of the UN at this time: "A complete meltdown of humanity."
