Head of the Syrian interim government Jawad Abu Hatab said that the government is working around the clock to provide services to the civilian population in the liberated areas despite scarcity of resources due to the blockades imposed by regime forces on many of these areas. Abu Hatab pointed out that regime forces and the Iranian-backed militias continue to violate the ceasefire agreement and target vital civilian facilities, especially medical and basic services facilities.
In a meeting with the Syrian community at the embassy of the Syrian Coalition in the Qatari capital Doha on Wednesday, Abu Hatab said that around 6 million Syrians currently live in the liberated areas. The interim government teams are currently working to organize and monitor the distribution of aid provided by humanitarian organizations to those in need, he added.
The meeting was also attended by Secretary-General of the Syrian Coalition Abdul Ilah Fahd and Ambassador of the Coalition to Qatar Nizar Haraki.
The interim government’s priority is the provision of education in the liberated areas, Abu Hatab said. He noted that over 800,000 out of one million children in the liberated areas are receiving education in nearly 2,300 schools. Abu Hatab pointed to dwindling numbers of teachers, with the vast majority getting paid less than $100 USD a month.
The Assad regime’s systematic targeting of medical facilities in the liberated areas has increased the suffering of civilians, Abu Hatab said. He pointed out that many qualified doctors have left Syria, further increasing the obstacles facing the medical sector. He went on to say that the interim government has established a Faculty of Medicine in northern Syria where hundreds of medical students are pursuing their university studies.
Abu Hatab also said that the interim government has set up law courts that adopt Syrian laws as well as a civil registry center to issue birth and death certificates as well as identity cards.
With the exception of support provided by local aid groups, especially in the agricultural sector, the Syrian interim government has not received any international support since May 2016, Abu Hatab added. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Office + Al Arab Newspaper)
