The 36th ordinary session of the Syrian Coalition’s General Assembly is set to begin in Istanbul on Saturday (November 11).
Members of the General Assembly will discuss the situation in besieged eastern Ghouta and the intensifying onslaught on the FSA-held area by Assad forces and the Iranian militias as wells the Assad regime’s blocking of the delivery of relief and medical aid to civilians trapped inside.
Member of the General Assembly Dima Moussa denounced the Assad regime’s exploitation of the humanitarian needs of civilians to achieve political gains, describing it as “political blackmail.”
“We called on the United Nations and international actors to take urgent action to lift the siege of eastern Ghouta and the rest of besieged areas across Syria,” Moussa said. She stressed that “the lifting of the siege and release of detainees should not be subject to negotiation as the lives of children should not be used as a bargaining chip to achieve political gains.”
Tabled for discussion will be the situation on the ground in Deir Ezzor and the plight of civilians who are currently trapped in Hawijat Qatea.
Member of the General Assembly Riad Hasan called upon the United Nations to ensure protection for civilians who are besieged by the Assad forces in line with international humanitarian law.
“Civilians trapped in Hawijat Qatea are now caught in the crossfire of clashes between ISIS and the Assad regime. Urgent international action must be taken to relieve them,” Hasan added.
President of the Coalition, Riad Seif, and the political committee will discuss preparations for the upcoming round of talks in Geneva and the Riyadh II conference as well as the results of the Coalition’s recent visits to the United States and Europe. The meeting will also discuss the issue of the liberated areas, the performance of the Syrian Interim Government (SIG), SIG’s takeover of the administration of border crossings, and efforts to establish a free national army. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department)
