Revolutionary and service institutions operating in the besieged Alwaer neighborhood in Homs called upon the United Nations to urgently deliver humanitarian aid to civilians trapped inside the neighborhood.
Homs provincial council on Tuesday called for determining the side responsible for the siege and the obstruction of relief aid to Alwaer area.
A statement released on Tuesday by Homs provincial council, relief organizations and the medical centers based in Alwaer said that “the United Nations has not fulfilled its promises it has taken on following the signing off on the agreement with the Assad regime six months ago.”
In December 2015, the United Nations promised residents of Alwaer district that it would carry out a “massive” response program to meet the needs of those in need. The program was supposed to include hiring and services projects, delivery of humanitarian aid, electricity generating projects, and an improved medical situation, especially after the visit by the International Committee of the Red Cross to Alwalid hospital.
The statement accused the United Nations of keeping silent over Assad regime’s breaches of the agreement reached with residents of Alwaer back in December 2015. It pointed out that the UN agencies removed some of the most basic relief items from its lists, adding that the UN relief agencies are acquiescing to the Assad regime’s requests to allow only small aid deliveries.
The statement also said that the UN office had not issued any statement explaining why basic aid items were removed from the aid convoys, especially as the humanitarian situation in the besieged district has severely deteriorated in the last three months.
Member of the Syrian Coalition’s legal committee Marwan Rifai earlier criticized the indifference and inaction shown by international organizations, in particular the UN agencies, towards the plight of the Syrian civilians trapped in areas besieged by the Assad regime. Rifai referred to the failure of the UN and other organizations to deliver humanitarian aid to the town of Daraya in rural Damascus and the district of Alwaer in Homs.
Rifai said the lack of legal and humanitarian responsibility shown by the United Nations and director of de Mistura’s office is unacceptable, adding that this lack of responsibility stands in contrast to the role humanitarian and human rights organizations should play. It also contravenes the Security Council resolutions 2165 and 2254, particularly Articles 12, 13 and 14 of UN resolution 2254. “These articles clearly call for access of humanitarian aid to the besieged areas and for making cross-border aid deliveries without the Assad regime’s consent,” he added.
Regime forces have been blocking entry of food and medical supplies for over 100,000 civilians trapped in Alwaer for over three years despite a UN-brokered agreement that was reached in December 2015 to ease the blockade on the district. (Source: Syrian Coalition)
