Syria's Permanent Representative at the United Nations Hussam Eddin Ala said that terrorism is the primary cause of humanitarian suffering among Syrians. Ala called for a new approach in dealing with the humanitarian situation in Syria, based on prioritizing the causes of suffering and acknowledging that combating terrorism is the way to end the humanitarian crisis in Syria.
In a statement at the meeting of the UN office for coordinating humanitarian aid, Ala said that the areas in need of greatest humanitarian assistance in Syria are where terrorists ran amok – vandalizing infrastructure and facilities, displacing locals, or using them as human shields.
He reviewed cases documented by UN teams operating in Syria where terrorists stole relief supplies or prevented their delivery to those who needed them, noting that statistics by UN-affiliated humanitarian agencies operating in Syria show the vast extent of cooperation on behalf of the Syrian government and its facilitation of aid delivery via the Syrian Arab Red Crescent to those in all areas without discrimination.
Ala went on to note that data and statistics show that relief delivered via the borders is ineffective, calling on the UN to focus efforts on delivering aid from within Syria to ensure that it arrives safely to those who need it, instead of falling into the hands of terrorists, as the UN has no mechanism to ensure that aid reaches those who need it.
