Churches demand action on Aleppo

The Baptist Union of Great Britain, the Church in Wales, theChurch of Scotland, Quakers in Britain, the Methodist Church andthe United Reformed Church have released a statement calling uponthe Syrian and Russian Governments and other forces to stop theirbombardment of Aleppo.

The humanitarian crisis in eastern Aleppo has become atragedy. United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan deMistura, has stated that in the two weeks following the collapse ofthe ceasefire, 376 people have been killed, one third of whom werechildren, and a further 1266 were wounded. The internationalhumanitarian organisation Medicines Sans Frontieres‎ said recentlythat there have been 23 recorded attacks on Aleppo's eighthospitals since the end of July. Seeking medical care has become adanger in itself.

The statement below has been signed by leaders from the sixchurches representing more than one million people in the UK.

The destruction of Aleppo must stop.

We are appalled by the attacks on civilians by the SyrianGovernment, Russian and other forces. Life is a gift of God. Thetargeting and killing of civilians can never be passed off merelyas a consequence of war. Aerial strikes on homes, hospitals and aidconvoys are never acceptable, under any circumstances.

The responsibility for such attacks lies first andforemost with those who have carried them out. But the frequency ofsuch attacks in Syria also underlines a failure on the part of theinternational community to uphold long-established principlesconcerning the immunity of civilians in conflict. Member states ofthe United Nations should seek to hold to account the partiesresponsible for indiscriminate attacks on men, women, children,hospitals, humanitarian and rescue workers, which could beconstrued as war crimes.

The world cries out for an end to the death and destruction inSyria that daily adds to the largest flight of refugees since theSecond World War. We join with our brothers and sisters ofother churches and other faiths in praying for the people of Syria.We claim no simple solution to a complex political reality butoffer the simple message of our faith: that every life is valued byGod and that the slaughter must end now.

The signatories to the statement are:

The General Secretary of the Baptist Union of Great Britain - theRevd Lynn Green.

The President of the Methodist Church - the Revd Dr RogerWalton.

The General Secretary of the United Reformed Church - the RevdJohn Proctor.

The Moderator for the Church of Scotland - the Right Revd DrRussell Bar.

Recording Clerk for Quakers in Britain - Paul Parker

The Bishop of Swansea and Brecon - the Right Revd John Davies.(1)

Editors Notes and interviews

Steve Hucklesby, Policy Adviser for the Joint Public IssuesTeam, is available for interview to discuss the Syrian conflictfrom a faith perspective.

A briefing from the Joint Public Issues Team on Syria is availablehere:

http://www.jointpublicissues.org.uk/countries-of-concern/

The Joint Public Issues Team (JPIT) combines the expertise of theBaptist Union, the Methodist Church, the United Reformed Church andthe Church of Scotland in the area of public issues. The Team aimsto enable our Churches to work together in living out the gospel ofChrist in the Church and in wider society. We aim to promoteequality and justice by influencing those in power and byenergising and supporting local congregations.

1) The Rt Revd John Davies, Bishop of Swansea and Brecon is Chairof the Church in Wales International Group' and 'Bishop withresponsibility for Church and Society with the Church inWales