The Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC) said that it was actively monitoring media reports that raise concerns about the Assad regime’s burial of significant quantities of humanitarian aid in the Amrit area in the Tartous province. These reports suggest that the aid had expired due to extended storage in the regime’s warehouses and its apparent refusal to distribute it to the population in need.
In press release issued on Wednesday, the SOC said that this incident is consistent with a recurring pattern where the Assad regime misappropriate humanitarian aid and prevent it from reaching those who need it.
The SOC emphasized that relying on the Assad regime for the delivery of humanitarian aid effectively equips a ruthless and criminal regime with additional resources, given its documented track record of hindering aid from reaching those most in need. Rather than extending assistance to civilians, the Assad regime has been allocating aid to its militias, further exacerbating the suffering of the Syrian people. This unfortunate state of affairs has also resulted in aid being stored to the point of spoilage within regime-controlled warehouses.
The SOC urgently called upon the international community and the United Nations to take immediate and serious measures in response to this alarming development. It is imperative to establish a mechanism that expedites the delivery of humanitarian aid via the border to northwestern Syria. “It is equally essential to find solutions that transcend potential obstacles, including any obstructions posed by the Russian veto. Failure to act could precipitate a humanitarian catastrophe, endangering the lives and well-being of millions of civilians.”
In addition, the SOC advocated for United Nations oversight in supervising the distribution of aid that reach areas under the control of the Assad regime. Such oversight would serve as a safeguard against the potential misappropriation of aid, ensuring that it does not fall into the hands of regime-affiliated militias.
(Source: SOC’s Media Department)
