This photo, shared online on April 23, 2021, shows a throng of shoppers in a market in Aleppo city, known as the Ramadan al Khair Market, with none of the crowd observing any social distancing measures, and all ignoring the importance of wearing protective facemasks, violating all the precautionary measures introduced to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic among the public.
SNHR notes that the numbers of COVID-19 cases in areas under the Syrian regime’s control continue to increase constantly, having already reached 21,864 cases, including 1,510 deaths, according to the Syrian Ministry of Health’s latest statement issued on April 23, 2021. Despite this, however, the Syrian regime has taken no real action to prevent public overcrowding in popular venues like this market, at social events, or while crowds of citizens are queuing to obtain essential items such as bread and gas and to collect their salaries; this negligence on the regime’s part is a blatant violation of the precautionary measures introduced to prevent the transmission or spread of the disease. The SNHR notes that this is further confirmation that a regime which is already responsible for killing hundreds of thousands of Syrians and displacing 12 million more as refugees and IDPs will not care for its people in any way.
The Syrian regime has failed to stop the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic among Syrian citizens, and bears the responsibility for its spread as a result of its negligence in failing to implement the precautionary measures stipulated by the World Health Organization.
