151 Organizations Denounce Military Escalation and Targeting Infrastructure in Syria and Call for Their Immediate Cessation

The signatory Syrian organizations express their strong condemnation for the increase of hostilities across Syria since the early hours of Thursday morning, October 5, 2023, and call on the UN Security Council to immediately intervene for de-escalation and protection of the civilians. The unlawful attacks have killed and injured scores of civilians and decommissioned civilian infrastructure, inflicting harm to millions of residents in the targeted areas.

The Turkish Army carried out a series of brutal assaults against areas of northeast Syria, using both drones and warplanes. The targeted areas included populated areas and critical facilities. The Turkish strikes were in tandem with attacks carried out by Russia and the Syrian Army against cities and towns of Idlib and Aleppo countryside, following an attack on a military college in Homs City.

The latest Turkish aggressions followed an explicit and public threat, declared by Turkey’s Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, that his government intends to target infrastructure and energy facilities in Syria and Iraq, considering them “legitimate targets” for Turkish forces, following an attack on the headquarter of the Turkish Interior Ministry in Ankara which resulted in the injury of two police officers. The signatories strongly condemn targeting populated areas, power plants, oil facilities and critical infrastructure indispensable to the survival of the civilians, and further caution the international community that these attacks will definitely exacerbate the ongoing existing humanitarian crisis and will greatly affect the region’s population with its diverse components.

The persistence of the Russian forces, the Syrian army and the Turkish army in bombarding populated areas violates the fundamental principles of the International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and the Rules of Armed Conflict. These rules strictly prohibit attacks against civilians and civilian objects, or the indiscriminate attacks that fail to distinguish between military and civilian objects; such actions may amount to war crimes.

The Turkish attacks have disrupted the fragile stability in the regions of north and east Syria, which have become a haven to hundreds of thousands of IDPs from all over the country. If these attacks persist, it is highly probable that they will cause another humanitarian catastrophe, further straining the already over-stretched humanitarian response efforts that have been severely impacted by the previous Turkish aggressions.

The undersigned organizations strongly condemn the military escalation throughout Syria and call for an immediate cessation of aggressions on civilians, infrastructure and critical facilities, respect the IHL and call on:

• The Security Council/United Nations: to take immediate measures to protect the civilians and their basic rights across Syria, and to intensify efforts of international mediation to cease fire and de-escalation.
• International Coalition/the USA: to immediately intervene to stop the Turkish attacks on north and east Syria, close the airspace to drones and warplanes targeting infrastructure, civilian objects, and populated areas, and to reject destabilization of the area and undermining efforts of combating the Islamic State/ISIS. 
• UN agencies and humanitarian organizations: to intensify relief and humanitarian efforts to immediate respond to the humanitarian needs arising from the latest military escalation, particularly in light of the targeting of civilian objects, critical facilities and infrastructure. As well as, to promptly take action to rehabilitate affected stations and areas as quickly as possible to evade the occurrence of a humanitarian crisis and new displacement waves.
• The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic: to release a special brief on the violations that accompanied the recent military attacks by all parties in the conflict.
• The International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism (IIIM): to intensify the process of collecting evidence on the serious violations of human rights perpetuated by all parties to the conflict against the civilians and civilian objects across Syria, particularly in north and east Syria.
• War Crimes Units in the countries that their enactments allow trials under the principle of universal jurisdiction: to broaden structural investigations on international crimes committed in Syria in order to include those committed in northern Syria by all parties to the conflict.

Organizations and Associations Signing the Statement:

1. Aata for Development
2. ACES Organization
3. Adil Center For Human Rights
4. Afrin platform
5. Ajyal
6. Al Aseel Development Association
7. Al Khaboor Association
8. Al-Diyar Society
9. Al-raed Organization
10. Al-Zajel Organization
11. Amal Al-Furat Organization
12. Amal for Development
13. Analysis and Strategic Studies Organization (ASO)
14. Anwar Al-Ghad
15. Arac charity
16. Areej Organisation
17. Ashna for Development Organization
18. Ashti Center for Peace Building
19. Assyrian Society for Helping and Development
20. Ataa Al-Baghouz Organization
21. Awda for development
22. Bader Organization for Development and Community Media
23. Baladna organization
24. Balsam Center for Health Education
25. Better Hope for Al-Tabqa
26. Better Life Organization
27. Better Tomorrow Organization
28. Bridges of Peace for Development
29. Bukra Ahla Association for Relief and Development
30. Buzog for Development
31. CAESAR FAMILIES ASSOCIATION
32. Center for Defending Freedoms
33. Center for Research and Protection of Women s rights in Syria
34. Chaushka Women’s Association
35. Cloud Org
36. Community Solidarity Organization
37. Dan for Relief and Development
38. DAR Association for Victims of Forced Displacement
39. Das Leben e.v.
40. Degla Organization for Development and Environment
41. Deirna Organization
42. DemoS Organization
43. Devepomen Seeds Center
44. DOZ ORGANIZATION
45. Dya Al-Aml Association
46. Ebdaa Organization for Development
47. Ella Organization For Development and Peacebuilding
48. Emaar Almansura
49. Enlil Center
50. Enma Aljazera
51. Environment and Water Association
52. Eridu Center for Civil Society and Democracy
53. Euphrates NGO
54. Families For Freedom
55. Field Response Team
56. For Them Organisation
57. Friends Association for Relief and Development
58. Future Makers Team
59. Green Tress
60. Hajeen techinecal
61. HDF Humanitarian
62. Hevy for Relief and Development
63. Hope Links for Development HLD
64. Hope Makers
65. Human Rights Organization Afrin – Syria
66. Human Rights Organization In Jazeera
67. Humanitarian and Development Cooperation HDC
68. Humanity Ray Organization
69. Inaash Development Organization
70. Inmaa Al fourat
71. Jasmine Society
72. jiyan Charity Association
73. Jiyan Foundation for Human Rights
74. Jsor Al-Amal
75. Justice For Life
76. Keskayi Org
77. Khwtwa association
78. Kobani for Relief and Development
79. Lamsat Al-khier Association
80. Lights For Development And Construction
81. Maakom for Development and Peace
82. MALVA FOR ARTS
83. Manara Organization
84. Mary for Culture, Arts and Environment
85. Mitan Center for the Revival of Civil Society
86. Moltaka Al-Nhren
87. Monitoring and Documentation Department at North Press
88. Nabd Team
89. Nasmet Amal Organising
90. Nawat Org
91. Nawras Development organization
92. NES Mine Action Center
93. NGO Platform
94. Noon Organization for Development and Support of Women and Children
95. Nudem Organization
96. Nujin Society for Development Community
97. Okaaz
98. Oxygen Shabab
99. PEACE SHE LEADERS NET WORK
100. Peace tent Org
101. PÊL- Civil Waves
102. Pioneers of Peace
103. Purity
104. Qadar Organization
105. Quality, Research and Development Organization
106. Rabou Al-Khair Organization
107. Radiance of Hope
108. Rahma Organization for Development
109. Raja Organization
110. Ras al-Ain/Serê Kaniyê Platform
111. RFD Org
112. Roj kar for Relief and Development
113. Rojava Relief and Development Organization
114. RojHilat for Relief and Development
115. Rose Organization For Support and Empowerment
116. Safe Land
117. Sahem Organization for Cooperation and Development
118. SALAM Organization
119. Sama Organization
120. Sanabel Al Furat Development Organization
121. Sanad Humanitarian Organization
122. Sara Organization to Combat Violence Against Women
123. Sawaeed Organization for Development
124. SCSD
125. Shaqayiq Al-khayr
126. SHARE FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
127. Shilan Association for Relief and Development
128. Silav Organaization For Civil Activities
129. Sphere for Development
130. Stability Support Centre
131. Swaedna Organization for Relief and Development
132. Synergy Association for Victims
133. Syria Aid Foundation
134. Syria Help Organization
135. Syriac Cross Organization for Relief and Development
136. Syrian For Truth and Justice
137. Taa Marbouta
138. Tara Organisation
139. Tayif Humanitarian Organization
140. The Civil Cooperation Team
141. Together For Jarniya Organization
142. Totol Foundation for Relief and Development
143. Vision
144. Weqaya Association
145. Wheat & Olive Platform
146. White hope organization
147. Women for peace
148. Youth For Change
149. Zameen
150. Zin Development Center
151. ZIRAK Organization