I’m sure no one out there thinks that life in Syria is ticking along nicely, but every now and again an image or video still has the power to shock the system.

Children are supposed to play outside in the street, or at the very least wander around trying to catch all the Pokemon. That’s what makes this footage from Aleppo, a city brought to its knees by constant bombardment, so tough to watch.

The footage speaks for itself, children hauled from the rubble following an airstrike in the neighbourhood of rebel-held Qaterji, but some info on just how dire the situation is courtesy of Washington Post below:

More than 250,000 people have died and millions have been displaced as the Syrian conflict has stretched on for years. And Aleppo has long been a key battleground between the regime of President Bashar al-Assad and rebels.

Recently, the Syrian city has garnered international attention as the humanitarian crisis has worsened. The flow of water, which serves millions of residents, was cut off earlier this month…

Earlier this month, CNN’s senior international correspondent Clarissa Ward appeared at a U.N. Security Council meeting and spoke about what she has seen and experienced in Aleppo.

“I have been covering conflict for 12 years,” Ward said. “I have never experienced anything like Syria.”

Think about these families next time you rant about your cappuccino having too much froth…

[source:washingtonpost]