President of the Syrian Coalition Anas Alabdah sent an urgent letter to the foreign ministers of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) on the dire humanitarian condition in the district of Daraya in Rural Damascus, which is under suffocating siege and constant bombardment by regime forces.
Verified reports from Daraya indicated the regime has used 8,902 barrel bombs, including 218 barrels filled with banned napalm bombs, on residential and agricultural areas of the district to deprive the population under siege of all means of survival.
The letter coincided with the fourth anniversary of Darayya’s massacre in which more than 500 civilians were murdered by regime forces on August 25, 2012. Survivors of the massacre spoke about the unspeakable atrocities committed by regime forces on that day as civilians from all walks of life were rounded up and summarily executed.
“These outrageous systematic endeavors by the Assad regime and its allies to bomb, kill, maim, torture and starve the people of Daraya into subservience fly in the face of all international resolutions including UNSCR 2254 (2015) and 2268 (2016) which endorsed the Cessation of Hostilities and humanitarian aid delivery agreement,” the letter said.
The letter added: “The UN suspension of the humanitarian task force has been another deadly blow to the hopes of thousands of besieged civilians rightly expecting a helping hand.”
“The National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces (SOC) holds the Assad regime and its allies fully responsible for this sad setback in UN efforts. And, we call to clearly name and hold accountable those responsible for the use of internationally prohibited weapons and for the blocking of humanitarian aid to civilians in need in Darayya and across Syria.”
The Coalition called upon ISSG, as the main international sponsor of the political process in Syria, to take immediate and decisive action to ensure stopping this barbaric attack on civilians in Daraya by compelling the Assad regime to abide by the terms of CoH and allowing unfettered and immediate humanitarian access and medical aid to the besieged district.
The Coalition also called on ISSG to take urgent, concrete steps to ensure investigating the use of napalm by the Assad regime and the immediate implementation of UNSC resolutions, mainly 2254 (2015) and 2268 (2016).
“Darayya, the iconic symbol of the Syrian revolution and peaceful protests since the early days of the revolution must not be forsaken,” the letter said. (Source: Syrian Coalition)
