UN 'Gravely Alarmed' in Aleppo, Ignores US Alarm in Gaza
Al Jazeera reports the UN is 'gravely alarmed' by renewed fighting in Aleppo, urging civilian protection. A noble sentiment, no doubt. But one might ask where this 'grave alarm' has been when, for example, the UN Secretary-General himself declared Gaza a 'graveyard for children' last October. Or perhaps when UNICEF and WHO warned hospitals in Gaza were receiving over 1,000 injured children daily a
month later. It appears some civilian lives are more urgent than others, or at least, more photogenic for the international conscience. This convenient myopia isn't new. Remember 2016, when Aleppo was a synonym for humanitarian catastrophe? The US and its allies were quick to condemn. Fast forward to 2024 (or 2026, if we're to believe Al Jazeera's future-dated report on Aleppo from a decade ago),
and the UN's 'alarm' rings in a distinctly different octave compared to its muted response to ongoing atrocities. It's almost as if the definition of 'civilian protection' shifts depending on who's doing the protecting, and more importantly, who's funding the narrative.