Vice-President of the Syrian Coalition commends the International Committee of the Red Cross’s delivery of food aid to the neighborhoods in Deir Ezzor besieged by ISIS.
“This move proves that the Assad regime can secure the needs of civilians trapped in the parts of the city besieged by ISIS either by granting access to relief organizations or through supplying civilians with food and medicine through the air base located near the city. However, the Assad regime chose instead to play the role of the victim in front of the international community. We call on the ICRC to send more aid shipments for civilians to avoid a new humanitarian catastrophe.
ISIS, which controls large swathes of land in eastern Syria, has laid a siege on parts of Deir Ezzor and blocked entry of food supplies coming via Deir Ezzor-Tadmur road, and also prevent the entry of civilians into these neighborhoods because they are “the land of infidels” and called on civilians to evacuate them. Civilians living in the regime-held areas can leave the city only through to through military aviation after obtaining the approval of the military commander there.
The shortages of food, medical supplies and water cleaning agents and power outages have led to the outbreak of epidemics such as lice, scabies, hepatitis A and typhoid, forcing schools to close down. The catastrophic humanitarian situation is aggravated by 20-long power and water outage.
Activists said that regime forces beat and humiliate civilians during the distribution of food aid, while a child has reportedly died as a result of severe hunger. (Source: Syrian Coalition)
