GhanaStar
  • News
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Music
No Result
View All Result
GhanaStar
  • News
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Music
No Result
View All Result
GhanaStar
No Result
View All Result
Home Headlines

Up To 100,000 Civilians Trapped In Syria’s Raqa

June 28, 2017
in Headlines
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

As many as 100,000 civilians are trapped in Syria’s Raqa, as US-backed fighters battle to retake the city from the Islamic State group, the UN rights chief warned Wednesday.

You Might Also Like

Ghanaian Can Travel to South Africa Visa-Free

2019 – the Biggest Year yet for Ghanaian Tourism

Three Britons On Trial In Singapore Accused of Gang-Raping Drunk Woman

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein voiced grave concern for the fate of civilians caught up in the anti-IS offensive in Raqa.

According to data collected by his office, at least 173 civilians have been killed by air and ground strikes in the city since June 1, but it acknowledged that that estimate was likely conservative, and the real death toll could be much higher.

At the same time, “up to 100,000 civilians are effectively trapped as the air and ground offensive intensifies,” it said in a statement, adding that IS fighters were reportedly preventing people from fleeing.

Civilians who try to leave also risk being killed by landmines or getting caught in the crossfire, it said.

“The intense bombardment of Al-Raqa over the past three weeks has reportedly left civilians terrified and confused about where they can seek refuge as they are caught between ISIL’s monstrosities and the fierce battle to defeat it,” Zeid said in the statement, using another acronym for IS.

“The large number of civilian casualties indicates that much more needs to be done by the parties to ensure protection of the civilian population,” he said.

The alliance, known as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), broke into Raqa on June 6 after a months-long operation to surround it and have since seized about a quarter of the city.

Before the offensive began, an estimated 300,000 civilians once lived under IS rule in Raqa, including 80,000 displaced from other parts of Syria before the group seized the city.

IS overran Raqa in 2014, transforming it into the de facto Syrian capital of its self-declared “caliphate”.

It became infamous as the scene of some of the group’s worst atrocities, including public beheadings, and is thought to have been a hub for planning attacks overseas.

Zeid on Wednesday called on all forces battling IS in Raqa, including international forces, to review their operations and ensure they were in “full compliance with international law, including taking all feasible precautions to avoid loss of civilian lives”.

“Civilians must not be sacrificed for the sake of rapid military victories,” he insisted, calling on all sides to help ensure that civilians who want to leave the city can do so safely.

Zeid also voiced alarm at reports of violation by SDF forces in areas under their control, including “looting, abductions, arbitrary detentions during screening processes as well as the recruitment of children”.

Join GhanaStar.com to receive daily email alerts of breaking news in Ghana. GhanaStar.com is your source for all Ghana News. Get the latest Ghana news, breaking news, sports, politics, entertainment and more about Ghana, Africa and beyond.

Tags: Al HusseinAl-RaqaHigh CommissionerHuman Rights Zeid RaIraqi insurgencyIrregular militaryIslamIslamic State of Iraq and the LevantmilitaryPersecution of Christians by ISILpoliticsPrince Zeid bin Ra'adrights chiefRojavasyriaSyrian Democratic ForcesterrorismUnited NationsWar_Conflict

Related News

Ghanaian Can Travel to South Africa Visa-Free

by
July 10, 2019
0

Citizens of Ghana no longer need a visa to travel to South Africa. This is because the South African Government...

2019 – the Biggest Year yet for Ghanaian Tourism

by
January 24, 2019
0

2018 was a good year for tourism in Ghana with more than GH₵5.8 billion spent in the country's travel and...

Three Britons On Trial In Singapore Accused of Gang-Raping Drunk Woman

by
August 1, 2017
0

Three British men have gone on trial in Singapore today accused of gang-raping a 23-year-old woman while visiting the city-state...

Pakistani Taliban Launches Women’s Magazine

by
August 1, 2017
0

The Pakistani Taliban on Tuesday released the first edition of a magazine for women, apparently aiming to convince its target...

Next Post

Tanzania To Speed Up Hydropower Project On UNESCO Site

US Trial of Pharma Bad Boy Shkreli Delayed Over Jury Selection

Categories

  • Africa & World
  • African Music Lyrics Directory
  • Business
  • Business Directory
  • celebrities
  • Computing
  • Diaspora
  • Entertainment
  • Events
  • Feature
  • Featured
  • Ghana Elections 2016
  • Headlines
  • Health
  • International
  • Internet
  • Jobs
  • lifestyle
  • Music
  • News
  • Offbeat
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Profiles
  • Religion
  • Security
  • Seth Terkper
  • Smart Home
  • Social Networks
  • Sports
  • Technology
  • Top Stories
  • World News

Tags

accra addo africa Association football Banks - NEC business Business_Finance chairman Donald Trump economy education Entertainment_Culture environment Geography of Africa ghana Ghanaian people government Government of Ghana Human Interest John Dramani Mahama john mahama Law_Crime mahama minister MPs elected in the Ghanaian parliamentary election Nana Addo Nana Addo Dankwa Nana Akufo-Addo National Democratic Congress National Democratic Congress (NDC) New Patriotic Party New Patriotic Party (NPP) nigeria politics Politics of Ghana president Social Issues Social Media Social Media & Networking sports United Kingdom United Nations United States Vice President War_Conflict

Recent Posts

  • Government of Ghana Unveils Official Portraits of President John Dramani Mahama and Vice President Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang
  • Who Is the Woman (Sheena Gakpe) in Sarkodie’s Latest Hit “No Sir” and Why Everyone Is Talking about It
List of Ghana Holidays for 2020
Ghana Geocoding
Ghana Cedis Exchange API
Ghana Maps Service
Toyota Cars Auto Auction History
  • African Music Lyrics Directory
  • Business Directory
  • Diaspora
  • Top Stories

All rights reserved © 2021 GhanaStar.com

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Music

All rights reserved © 2021 GhanaStar.com