Celebrities Share Heartbreak Over Aleppo Tragedy

On December 14, residents still trapped in Aleppo were told they would be allowed to leave the city safely — but by December 15, it was clear that that wasn’t going to happen. While the country’s civil war has been going on for five years, the fighting has grown increasingly intense in the past few days, with Syrian President Assad’s forces reportedly executing civilians — children included — on the streets. All this came after the rebels agreed to a cease-fire deal that was essentially a surrender to Assad. The world watched in horror as the violence escalated, and many celebrities took to social media to share their heartbreak and offer ways for those of us far away to help.

“Please please help these beautiful innocent souls.. countless children are dying in #Aleppo and you can help now!” stylist and designer Rachel Zoe pleaded beside a picture of a woman embracing three crying young boys. “Go to @savethechildren or @doctorswithoutborders to find out how to help. #prayforsyria #helpourchildren #savealeppo.”

She also posted a dramatic shot showing a massive crowd of people crammed amid the rubble. “It is unfathomable that countless innocent children are dying in this tragedy happening in Aleppo. We must help right now in any and every way possible,” she reasoned.

Pink, who is currently expecting her second child, added that action must be taken now and passed along an article featuring ways to help the crisis.

Nashville star Connie Britton encouraged followers to read up on the United States’ ambassador to the United Nations’ appeal to the U.N. to take action.

Tyler Blackburn encouraged his followers to “stand in solidarity for the people of Syria” and provided a link for ways to help.

Others, like Madonna and Mariska Hargitay, turned to prayer.

Still others poured their hearts out in emotional statements beside dramatic shots showing the horrors happening in the Syrian city.

“My heart is so heavy…How could it possibly be so bad? Nobody should have to go through something so disturbing..I am so disgusted at humanity for allowing mass murders like this to happen…mothers and fathers feeling helpless, not being able to save and protect their innocent babies,” model Bella Hadid wrote. “Real human beings are being tortured, killed, massacred, with no medicine, no hospitals, schools, shelter, food… a human being, let alone, ANY being should never have to deal with torment like this.”

Singer Jessie J echoed these sentiments as she tried to make sense of the horrors happening in Aleppo. “These pictures are REAL and happening right now. We MUST take a stand and help however we can,” she began. “I’m sitting here in tears completely saddened and broken by what the world is. The pain, the death, the killing of innocent lives is inhuman. Children, families, lives being destroyed. It is not a time where we can turn a blind eye and ignore what is happening in our world. You don’t have to be Syrian to recognise this is a war, a fight a painful and awful way to live and to die.”

Naomi Campbell urged followers to donate to Doctors Without Borders to help these children, who will undoubtedly be “wounded” and “emotionally scarred for life.”

Ruby Rose argued that more had to be done.

But for some, it seemed the world had already failed. Mia Farrow quoted an article describing Aleppo’s current battlefield as a ‘complete meltdown of humanity.’

But perhaps no one captured the sense of heartbreak, despondency, and disgust more poignantly than Bette Midler.