No: 45, 15 February 2016

The International Syria Support Group decided on February 11 in Munich for the cessation of hostilities in Syria. It is to our profound disappointment that Russia, instead of halting its air strikes in line with the adopted resolution, has increased them and particularly targeted civilians, hospitals and schools.

As a matter of fact, only in the last 24 hours, over 30 civilians, most of them women and children, lost their lives in the Russian air strikes and missile attacks on two schools and a hospital in Azaz and a hospital run by Doctors Without Borders at Maar'at El Numan in Idlip. The number of the wounded is estimated to be over 100.

We strongly condemn these attacks, which go against humanity and conscience and correspond to a clear war crime in international law. Russian Federation, through these crimes, is causing further deepening of the civil war in Syria and a dangerous escalation in the region. Unless the Russian Federation immediately ceases these activities that are gradually taking Syria further away from peace and stability, more serious and greater consequences will eventually be inevitable.