The President of the Syrian National Coalition, Anas al-Abda, sent a letter to the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres and the president and members of the UN Security Council to draw their attention to the dire humanitarian situation in northwestern Syria, resulting from the Assad regime and Russia’s continued crimes.
Abda said that the widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure, the regime’s recapture of northern rural Hama and southern rural Idleb, and the siege of other areas have further worsened the suffering of civilians.
Moreover, Abda said that more than a million civilians are wandering exposed and looking for safety either in the open or in IDP camps. He said that the majority of the IDPs fled the regime’s assault to areas near the borders of Turkey.
“The displacement patterns remain the same, which increases the pressure on the host communities in the areas of displacement that are already in desperate need of assistance, pushing them to think about seeking refuge in other countries, despite the risks they face while crossing borders and seas,” Abda added.
Furthermore, Abda called for the delivery of UN humanitarian assistance to Idleb, Hama, Aleppo and Lattakia via the Turkish border, in accordance with resolutions 2165 (2014) and 2449 (2018).
He also called for the expansion of UN humanitarian assistance, to meet basic and emergency needs with respect to shelter, food, education, health and services for IDPs and residents of those areas.
Abda called for supporting the political process in order to achieve a political transition and prevent the regime from sabotaging it again, taking in consideration that an effective solution of the humanitarian crisis in Syria requires a political solution through the complete implementation of resolution 2254.
“There are 3 million civilians (25 percent women and 51 percent children) in Idleb, paying a painful price for the endless attacks, where women bear the brunt of the pain. Nearly 400,000 children have no school to go to, and 150,000 were recently displaced and they need immediate education services.”
Abda also said that the Syrian people are living, “the worst humanitarian tragedy the world has seen since World War Two,” stressing that this must trigger international action to remove the threats to international peace and security.
This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
