Daily Newsletter – 03/02/2014

Syrian Coalition: Security Council Draft Resolution on Humanitarian Aid Will Test Russia

Louay Safi, spokesman for the Syrian Coalition, said that “the draft resolution being prepared in the Security Council calling for entering humanitarian aid to the three million Syrian civilians trapped in Homs and other cities will give the Syrian Coalition the chance to test the Russian intentions and positions towards the Syrian people.” Safi also said that “Although the Russians had signed the Geneva I Communique that includes in its provisions the emphasis on the…Read more

Son of Fayez Sarah Dies under Torture
Wissam Fayez Sarah died under torture in Assad’s dungeons. Wissam was arrested 63 days ago by the military security branch. His family said that the military police sent…Read more

On The Anniversary of Hama Massacre, Syrian Coalition: Tyranny Will Not Defeat the Will of the People
The Syrian Coalition said in a statement released yesterday on the 32nd anniversary of Hama massacre that ”the Assad regime and those who back it or turn a blind eye to its…Read more 

Contamination of Drinking Water because of Aerial Shelling
The non-stop aerial bombardment by Assad’s air force on Syrian cities has caused massive damage to the infrastructure, including water and sewer systems, which have become useless and contaminated. Activists in the city of Aleppo said that water systems in the district Qaddi Askar were severely as a result barrel bomb attacks. This network supply the city of Aleppo with drinking water. Furthermore, almost all the people in Deir Ezzor province resorted to drawing water from the Euphrates River to use in their homes without the necessary means for sterilizing it first. The local council of the city has been making repairs to the water systems. In rural Deir Ezzor, most water purification plants stopped working, and there is a shortage of the equipment necessary for filtering of water. People in eastern Ghouta resorted to digging of wells to get drinking water due to the siege imposed by regime forces on the area. The price of 20 liters of drinking water rose to SYP 100 as a result of the increase in the fuel price. One of the reasons of water contamination is the regime’s throwing of the bodies of dead detainees in the rivers, such as in Queik River in Aleppo. This caused the outbreak of epidemics such as Leishmaniasis, Hepatitis A and Typhoid Fever, and Polio. World Health Organization and several other international organizations warned of the spread of many serious diseases due to contamination of drinking water and called for urgent intervention in Syria. (Source: Syrian Coalition)

Regime Media Delegation Erupts Into Fiery Rants at Geneva II
The Assad regime has been known to fully control all state facilities, including media organizations and has always used them to commercialize their ideas and justify his actions. The regime’s media team was composed of 36 journalists, besides it was supported by terrorist Hezbollah’s TV Al Manar and by RT TV. Ahmed Zakaria, correspondent of Radio Al Kull,  said that the media team of the delegation of the Assad regime repeatedly harassed him as he was representative of the journalists of the Syrian Revolution. Zakaria also said that the regime’ media delegation included security and intelligence members, and that one of them came to him after the end of a press conference and asked him not to ask provocative questions to Faisal al Miqdad, the regime’s Deputy Foreign Minister. Hana al Saleh, member of the regime’s media delegation, sent a message through Zakaria to the delegation of the Syrian Coalition calling on them to “stop directing charges at SANA Agency and the Syrian Arab Army.” Zakaria also said that the regime’s media delegation prevented Fatima Khan, mother of doctor Abbas Khan who was killed by Assad’s forces while in detention, from approaching the regime’s delegation to ask them why they killed her son. (Source: Syrian Coalition)

Ongoing Carnage in Aleppo by Barrel Bombs
Assad’s warplanes launched barrel bomb attacks on the neighborhoods of Alhaidariya, Salihin and Hanano in Aleppo, killing 27 civilians and wounding dozens. 23 civilians were also killed in the neighborhood Sakhour. The team of civil defense is still working to raise the rubble and recover the bodies of the dead people, while the field hospitals are crowded with the wounded and suffer acute shortage of medicines and blood bags. Meanwhile, ISIS carried out a suicide in the town Raee of Aleppo, killing five fighters of the Islamic Front. (Source: Coalition + LCC)

Four People Starve To Death In Yarmouk Camp
Four civilians died today in Yarmouk camp in Damascus as a result of malnutrition, dehydration and lack of medicines, due to the blockade imposed on the region by regime forces. Regime forces shelled the neighborhoods of Qadam, Alasali and the towns of Rankous, Zabadani and Daryya with heavy artillery, causing civilian casualties and material damage. (Source: Coalition + LCC)

FSA Makes Gains In Rural Hama And Clashes In Souran
The FSA captured today Al Samman and Madajen checkpoints north of Hama after violent clashes with regime forces. The Free Syrian Army also clashed with regime forces around the town of Souran Hama, with reports of the death of 20 members of regime forces. Regime forces bombarded the town of Morek, causing civilian casualties and material damage. (Source: Coalition + LCC)

Clashes Zarra in Rural Homs As Four Bodies Are Discovered In Mahin
The Free Syrian Army clashed with regime forces near the village of Zarra east of Homs, with reports of the deaths of six fighters of the Free Syrian Army. People of the village of Mahin found east of Homs found four bodies in a well after they disappeared two months ago. Regime forces shelled the town of Talbisah, killing three civilians and wounding others, some in critical condition. (Source: Syrian Coalition + LCC)

FSA Announces the Start of a Battle to Control the Town Of Namir in Dara’a Province
The Revolutionary Military Council of Dara’a announced today the start of an offensive to take over the town of Namir. Violent clashes broke out in the town of Atman between the Free Syrian Army and regime forces, with reports of the death deaths of four members of regime forces. Meanwhile, regime forces shelled the towns of Nahta, Taiba, Basr al Harir. Mazirab and Ghariya Sharqiya as well as the districts of Dar’a Camp and Tariq Al Sadd, causing civilian casualties and material damage. (Source: Syrian Coalition + LCC)

• Turkey condemns the inaction of the international community towards Syria
• Saudi Arabia: Assad regime must fulfill its obligation to dispose of chemical weapons