Members of Swindon and Marlborough Amnesty International group are holding a vigil for Syria on Saturday.

It is one of similar events around the country and around the world organised by a coalition of human rights and humanitarian organisations, including Amnesty, Oxfam, Save The Children and Christian Aid to show solidarity with the people of Syria three years since the uprising began in March 2011. 

The vigils - which will be held with a #WithSyria theme - will highlight the plight of over 250,000 civilians trapped in besieged areas of Syria who have little food, water or medicine.

Amnesty is pressing for humanitarian aid to be delivered into Syria, especially for those besieged by Syrian government or armed opposition group forces, and demanding the immediate implementation of Security Council resolution 2139 which was unanimously adopted on February 22.

Emma Bushell, secretary of Swindon and Marlbourgh Amnesty International group, said: “Syria is the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

“Our vigil is simply a matter of people saying ‘we haven’t forgotten, we’re still trying to help and we’re standing in solidarity with the people of Syria’.

“Recently, after much dithering, our own government did the right thing by agreeing to resettle some of the most vulnerable refugees from the Syria conflict.

“Now we need to see the world powers - especially Russia, a key country in all of this - coming together and demanding immediate access for humanitarian aid especially into besieged and hard to reach areas of Syria.

“It’s really important to mark this three-year point since the uprising began, but we don’t want to be back here holding another vigil for Syria in a year’s time – the humanitarian crisis must be resolved.”

The vigil is a public event and is open to all local people. It will take place during the Amnesty group’s March meeting on Saturday at 7.30pm at the Friends Meeting House, Eastcott Road, Swindon.