Vice-president of the Syrian Coalition Muwaffaq Nyrabiya said the blocking of aid convoys by regime forces from entering Daraya and the targeting afterwards of civilians in the area is a deliberate “war crime.” He added that regime actions in Daraya provide yet further proof it will not negotiate in good faith.
Nyrabiya called upon the UN Security Council to find alternative solutions to protect the Syrian people and to put an end to the Assad regime’s blatant disregard for the political process.
“The UN Security Council has to take concrete action to force the Assad regime to implement its obligations regarding lifting of the blockades on the besieged areas and stopping killing and bombing of civilians,” Nyrabiya said. “International will is urgently needed to curb Assad’s criminality and protect Syrian civilians from the ongoing violations and atrocities.”
The local council in Daraya said in a statement late on Thursday the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) informed the field hospital in the town on Wednesday of its intention to deliver medicinal aid to the besieged town on the following day, Thursday. “The ICRC said they got a clearance from the Assad regime to deliver medical aid to the town. The aid deliveries the Assad regime granted entry to did not include food aid, but medicines, vaccines and infant formula,” the council said.
The council added that “residents on Thursday morning gathered in the town waiting for the convoy aid and they expressed anger at the regime’s orders to remove food items form the aid shipments. The convoy, which was accompanied by officials from the United Nations, ICRC and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, arrived at the outskirts of the town at around 1:00 PM. Then it was stopped at a regime checkpoint manned by soldiers from the 4th Division near Iceman Factory to be searched. Regime army officers insisted on removing baby milk and medicines from the convoy, allowing only vaccines to go through.”
The council added: “The team accompanying the convoy insisted on the passage of all aid items. Negotiations between the two sides continued for several hours before the team decided to cancel the whole mission. The convoy returned to Damascus at about 6:15 PM without any aid entering the town.”
The council also said that regime forces afterwards bombed the place where civilians were gathering to collect relief aid with several mortar shells, killing two civilians, a father and his son, and wounding five others. (Source: Syrian Coalition)
