Above Photo: FILE – In this Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2013 file photo, a Syrian woman stands amid the ruins of her house which was destroyed in an airstrike by government warplanes a few days earlier, killing 11 members of her family, in the neighborhood of Ansari, Aleppo, Syria. (AP Photo/Abdullah al-Yassin, File)
Hundreds of activists set off from Berlin on Monday on a three and a half month march to Aleppo to raise awareness about the humanitarian crisis in Syria.
Before setting off, Caspar explained why he was taking part: “It’s Christmas and it is nice to spend time with family, but we also have to raise awareness that in other parts of the world people are struggling and that we could do something to make their lives better.”
Jaber, who is Syrian, was also passionate about the march, saying: “This affects me personally. The march and the people are here to express their humanity and I want to contribute to it. Other people in the world need to know that the situation in Syria is horrible.”
#CivilMarchForAleppo Walking through Berlin with white flags pic.twitter.com/LtfBSTojUv
— CivilMarchForAleppo (@AleppoMarch) December 26, 2016
Known as the ‘Civil March for Aleppo’, organisers say the group plans to pass through the Czech Republic, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Greece and Turkey.
The team of international organisers, headed by journalist and travel blogger Anna Albothm, have warned participants that they should be prepared to sleep in the ‘wild’ as they rely on public donations for food and shelter along the route.
Organisers say the marchers are not expected to walk the whole way, however, more are expected to join as the group continues on its journey to Syria.
They plan to cover around 20 kilometres per day.