Member of the Syrian Coalition’s political committee Nora al-Ameer said the Assad regime is increasingly reneging on its pledges to improve humanitarian conditions in Syria as was stipulated in Articles 12 and 13 of the UN Security Council resolution 2254. She added that the Assad regime is restricting the delivery of humanitarian aid to many of the areas their forces have laid siege to.
“The worsening humanitarian conditions in Syria would undermine the political process and reduce the chances of reaching a political solution in Syria. The entry of aid has slowed down after the Assad regime has surrounded the UN aid deliveries with red tape procedures that have increased the suffering of civilians and caused them to starve,” Al-Ameer added.
“Ending the blockades on the besieged cities in Syria is a prerequisite for giving a push to the political process,” Al-Ameer stressed, calling upon the member states of the UN Security Council to fulfill their commitment to the implementation of the UNSC resolution 2254 which was adopted unanimously. She also called for deterring the Assad regime’s continued breaches of international and humanitarian laws.
Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General, said that the UN will continue to put pressure on the Assad regime in order to obtain unconditional unhindered humanitarian access to besieged areas across Syria.
In the daily news press briefing in the UN headquarters on Thursday, Haq said that “despite the recent arrival of aid convoys to a number of areas, certain life-saving medicines and supplies, including surgical items, continue to be removed from convoys by the authorities. This practice continues to lead to unnecessary suffering and loss of life.”
“Over 80,000 treatments have been excluded or removed from convoys in 2016, the vast majority by the Syrian authorities. The United Nations calls on all parties to the conflict, particularly the Syrian authorities, to allow for all necessary medical items and equipment, including surgical items, to be allowed onto the convoys,” Haq added.
Haq pointed out the UN relief teams have had problems with obtaining approvals from the Assad regime to allow aid in, and sometimes there have been problems where items have been taken out of aid convoys.
“For example, a convoy was planned to Kafr Batna that was originally supposed to proceed on 29 March…That convoy continues to be on hold. The Government has also still not approved access to all the 11 locations that the UN requested in its monthly convoy plan,” Haq said.
Haq also said that “access to Darayya, Douma, Eastern Harasta remains pending. And, similarly, no formal authorization has been received for access to Zabadani and Moadamiyeh.” (Source: Syrian Coalition + Agencies)
