Syrian activists and members of the Syrian Coalition organized a sit-in on Sunday in Istanbul to protest against the siege Hezbollah militias and the Assad regime impose on the towns of Madaya, Al-Zabadani, Al-Muadamiyah.
The protesters submitted a memo to the United Nations explaining the situation in the besieged areas in Rural of Damascus, Homs and Deir Ezzor. The memo criticizes the silence of the international organization over the Assad regime’s violations of the UN Security Council resolutions related to the delivery of relief aid.
Hundreds of Syrians also gathered in Alexander Square in central Berlin on Sunday in solidarity with the besieged town of Madaya, calling on the German government and the international community to intervene in order to save the lives of civilians trapped by this criminal blockade.
Participants in the sit-in raised the Syrian revolution’s flag and photos of emaciated bodies of Madaya’s residents; of whom nearly 40 have so far starved to death.
Participants also held up placards written in Arabic, German and English that read: “Madaya is dying of hunger;” “Assad and Hezbollah kill our children;” “terrorism is to starve people;” “where are human rights?” “systematic starvation is a crime against humanity;” “send us bread instead of bombs;” and “Madaya’s children are eating leaves.”
Bassam Abdullah, the Syrian Coalition’s representative to Germany, said that “the continuing humanitarian catastrophe in Syria has been unfolding in horrendous and appalling forms. The latest of these was the siege the Assad regime imposed on children and women in Madaya and his starvation of civilians right under the nose of the United Nations which chose to remain silent over these crimes.”
Abdullah also called on the German government, the international community and the United Nations to save Syrian civilians from the oppression of the Syrian regime which committed all kinds of atrocities to punish Syrians for revolting against his regime.
A delegation from the Syrian activists who organized the sit-in will submit a report on the humanitarian catastrophe in Madaya to the German Foreign Ministry. They will also demand a clear EU position to force the Assad regime to allow aid into Madaya as soon as possible. (Source: Syrian Coalition)
