Qatar cancels National Day celebrations over Aleppo

The Qatar National Day celebrations on December 18 have been cancelled, according to a directive from HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani yesterday.
The decision is in solidarity with the people of Aleppo who are being subjected to the worst kinds of repression, torture, displacement and genocide, the official Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported.
Following HH the Emir’s directive, the Organising Committee of the National Day has announced a campaign for collection of donations to support the Syrian people on Sunday at Darb Al Saai, under the flagpole, from 7pm.
Various organisations have also cancelled Qatar National Day celebrations. Mall of Qatar announced in a statement that it will cancel all National day celebrations in alignment with the decision issued by HH the Emir.
A number of Qatari charity organisations announced the implementation of urgent relief for Syrians displaced of Aleppo, in light of the tragic human conditions in the city.
Qatar Charity (QC) said it is sending to Aleppo 12 trucks carrying food stuff, baby food and warming materials across the Turkish-Syrian border, enough for 20,000 people as a first step.
QC explained in a statement that the assistance convoy comes as part of its relief project for displaced persons in Aleppo, and in the framework of the campaign “Syria... cold and hunger” aimed to assist Syrian internally displaces persons and refugees in Turkey.
A team of volunteers will oversee the convoy and the distribution of food baskets to hundreds of families on the Syrian-Turkish border. QC’s executive director for operations Faisal al-Fahaida urged Qatar residents to help the people in Aleppo and provide assistance to those who were forced by the recent incidents to leave their homes.
Sheikh Eid bin Mohamed Al-Thani Charitable Foundation (Eid Charity) announced emergency relief for the displaced Syrians in Aleppo at a cost of QR1mn. The assistance will be awaiting the displaced persons in Jarablos, north suburbs of Aleppo and Idleb suburb.
In a statement yesterday, Eid Charity said the aid consists of shelter kits, food baskets, baby milk and other necessities for about 50,000 people.
Sheikh Thani bin Abdullah Foundation for Humanitarian Services (RAF) announced its preparations for the implementation of emergency relief projects for the provision of basic needs of the displaced people of Aleppo.
RAF’s plan includes the provision of shelter and non-food items, such as tents, blankets, and rain insulators, heaters, fuel, mattresses and clothing. The plan also includes the provision of canned food baskets, food baskets, baby milk, in addition to the provision of medical supplies, QNA added.

Aleppo assault likely a war crime: UN
Plans to evacuate besieged rebel districts of Aleppo were under threat yesterday as renewed air strikes and shelling rocked the Syrian city in a bombardment the United Nations said “most likely constitutes war crimes”.
Iran, one of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s main backers, imposed new conditions on a ceasefire deal, saying it wanted the simultaneous evacuation of wounded from two villages besieged by rebel fighters, according to rebel and UN sources.
There was no sign of that happening.
Instead air strikes, shelling and gunfire erupted in Aleppo and Turkey accused government forces of breaking the truce agreed less than a day before.
A ceasefire brokered by Russia, Assad’s most powerful ally, and Turkey was intended to end years of fighting in the city, giving the Syrian leader his biggest victory in more than five years of war.
The evacuation of rebel-held areas was expected to start in the early hours of yesterday, but did not materialise.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and Russian leader Vladimir Putin agreed in a phone call to make a joint effort to start the process, Turkish presidential sources said.
There was no sign of Iran’s conditions being met.