Daily Newsletter – 24/02/2014

Ghalioun: Geneva Negotiations Suspended as Assad Regime Evades Implementation of UNSC Resolution on Humanitarian Aid

Dr. Burhan Ghalioun, member of the Syrian Coalition, said that “the Geneva talk are suspended until the Assad regime completely changes its position and agrees to engage in serious negotiations based on the formation of a transitional governing body with full executive powers.” Ghalioun also said that “there is no point in any negotiations if they are not intended to achieve a political transition,” pointing out that the international envoy Lakhdar Brahimi suggested that…Read more

Assad Regime: 9 Die by Swine Flu
The Ministry of Health of the Assad regime said that nine people died in Hama as a result of the swine flu. Saad Nayef, the Minister of Health, said that “36 cases of swine flu were recorded, while nine deaths were recorded of the epidemic and were accompanied by high risk chronic diseases that lead to death.” Medical sources said that “the disease is curable, especially in its early stages, but the mis-diagnosis is the main reason for the spread of it, as it has not been officially announced and citizens were not warned of its dangers.” The first case of the disease in Syria was recorded in 2009, and the Syrian government announced its presence as a global epidemic and taken all the measures to reduce the cases and deaths. (Source: Agencies + Newspapers)

Launch of Third Round of Anti-Polio Campaign Tomorrow
The third round of the anti-polio campaign in Syria starts tomorrow, February 25, which is overseen by a polio control task force. The task force work under the slogan: “Let’s put an end to polio in Syria.” The technical team in charge of the campaign announced the completion of technical equipment and logistics for the launch of the third round. Vaccines which were delivered by the Turkish government were distributed to the centers allocated to each Syrian province. The technical team briefed members of the mobile teams about the obstacles they faced in the previous rounds years and discussed the ways to overcome them. The task force has already completed two rounds of the anti-polio campaign; the first at late December and the second at late January. 1,250 million children were vaccinated in the first round, while 1,400 million were vaccinated in the second round. The polio control task forces was formed through the combined efforts of Assistance Coordination Unit (ACU) and local councils Syria in addition to local and international organizations working in the medical field. The task force consists of 8,500 volunteers, including 200 doctors. The Turkish government has been providing the vaccines through Turkish Red Crescent and the Ministry of Health. The campaign aims to give vaccines to children from the age of one day to five years in the opposition-held areas that include the provinces of Deir Ezzor, Al-Hasakah, Raqqa, Aleppo, Idleb, Hama and Latakia. (Source: Syrian Coalition)

UN Agencies: 60% of Health Facilities Were Destroyed In Syria
The Assad regime’s targeting of Syrian cities caused the destruction of 60% of health facilities, according to UN humanitarian organizations. A report by the United Nations Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) said that 55% of the 88 hospitals were damaged while 31% of the health centers are out of service, pointing out that 10% of these health centers have been damaged, besides using hospitals as centers of refugees and displaced persons. Jawad Abu Hatab, Chief of the Medical Committee of the Syrian Coalition, said that “the Assad regime has been targeting health facilities since the start of the revolution, either through deliberate bombing or siege. 15 million people receive the services of field hospitals.” Abu Hatab also said that 911 doctors have been killed so far, while 980 medics were injured as a result of Assad regime’s targeting of field hospitals. The estimated losses of the health sector in Syria are 6.2 billion SYP. Most of the pharmaceutical factories have become out of service, most notably Tameco in Damascus, which was offering 22% of Pharmaceutical Services.” Abu Hatab denounced the blast that targeted Orient Charity Hospital in the town of Atma in northern Syria, where 16 people were killed.  The Syrian Coalition also condemned the attack, saying that “this cowardly attack targeting the ill and the injured, along with doctors comes in a series of violations and abuses carried out by the Assad regime against innocent civilian, medical staff, and humanitarian personnel.” (Source: Al Arabiya)

Syrian Interim Government Welcomes UNSC Resolution on Humanitarian Aid
The Syrian interim government has issued a statement welcoming the UN Security Council Resolution No. 2139 demanding the delivery of humanitarian aid to all Syrian cities. The statement stresses that the resolution “is a first step towards addressing the dire humanitarian needs of the Syrian people through obliging the Assad regime to lift the siege on the Syrian cities. The interim government stresses it is committed to international and humanitarian law. It also welcomes the resolution’s call to stop Assad’s barbaric war machine and aerial bombardment on the Syrian, calling for taking all the necessary steps and to force the Assad regime to abide by international and humanitarian law.” The interim government also calls for the immediate and full implementation of the UNSC resolution, stressing the need to press the Assad regime to immediately lift the blockade on all the besieged areas. Furthermore, the interim government stresses it has taken all the necessary steps to rapidly implement the resolution and that it is ready to work and coordinate with the UN and relief organizations for the safe delivery of aid to those who in need. It is unfair to equate between the Syrian people, who have been subject for three years of murder, bombing, arrests, siege and starvation, and the Assad regime who did not stop using of his barbaric military against defenseless civilians in violation of the most basic rules of international and humanitarian law.” The interim government also stresses that Assad’s staying in power is the sole cause of violence in Syria, and that the solution to the humanitarian tragedy in Syria is linked to reaching a political solution based on Geneva I Communique and UN Security Council Resolution No. 2118, which provides a mechanism for political transition through the formation of a transitional governing body with full executive powers.” (Source: Syrian Coalition)

Death Toll: 41 People Killed Today, 104 Yesterday
The Local Coordination Committees documented 104 people killed yesterday, while 41 people were killed as of press time of today, including three children and a woman. Deaths were cites as: 22 Aleppo, 12 in Damascus, 6 in Homs, and one in Hama. (Source: LCC)

Air Raids Kill 14 Civilians in Al Neshabiya In Rural Damascus
Assad’s warplanes bombed the town of Al Neshabiya in rural Damascus, killing 14 civilians, including women and children. The towns of Talfita and Rahibh in rural and the districts of Jobar and Qadam came under shelling by artillery and machine guns, causing civilian casualties and material damage. (Source: Syrian Coalition + LCC)

FSA Advance on Regime Positions in Quneitra and Dara’a
The FSA captured the platoons of Abu Diab, Khalil and Badour at al Jabiya Hill and the artillery platoon of Brigade No.61 in rural Quneitra after violent clashes with regime forces. The Free Syrian Army also captured parts of the Chemical Warfare Battalion in Basr al-Harir in rural Dara’a. The towns of Maa’raba and Nawa came under aerial shelling, while regime forces shelled the towns of Masifra and Ghariya Gharbiya. The FSA clashed with regime forces near Tha’la air base north of Um Walad in rural Dara’a, while it destroyed a BMP vehicle near Gharz east of Dara’a. (Source: Syrian Coalition + LCC)

Air raids on Zara as regime’s artillery pound Al Waer District in Homs
Assad’s warplanes launched air strikes on the village of Zara and Krak des Chevaliers Homs countryside, killing six civilians and wounding dozens. Regime forces conducted artillery and mortar shelling on Addar al-Kabira, Al Hula and Rastan, while two children were killed and dozens injured as a result of artillery shelling on Al Waer district. (Source: Syrian Coalition + LCC)

Aerial Shelling Kills 12 Civilians in Aleppo
Assad’s warplanes launched barrel bombs attacks on the Industrial Zone and Sheikh Khader in Aleppo, killing 12 civilians and seriously wounding dozens. Snipers of regime forces targeted civilians at Al Karajj crossing in central Aleppo, killing two people. The FSA clashed with regime forces in the neighborhood of Assilah in Aleppo, with reports of the death of 10 pro-Assad fighters. The FSA captured four regime positions on the outskirts of the village of Al-Azizia in rural Aleppo. Violent clashes broke out between the Free Syrian Army and regime forces in the village of Marat al- Alartik alongside artillery shelling. (Source: Syrian Coalition + LCC)

• Siniora: Hezbollah Must Pull out of Syria.
• Thousands of Syrian refugees are stuck at Syrian-Turkish borders.
• Syrian children express their suffering through artwork.