Abdul Majeed Barakat, Vice President of the Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC), asserted that the Assad regime has consistently misused UN humanitarian aid to fund its military machine and economic projects, depriving those genuinely in need. He expressed surprise that donors have yet to review aid distribution processes and ensure the assistance reaches those in need.
In a press statement, Barakat emphasized the urgent need for donor organizations to ensure that the Assad regime is not using humanitarian aid for its economic ventures. He called for an investigation into several incidents documented by the media and human rights organizations.
Barakat noted that past investigations and photos have revealed that Assad’s forces have repurposed aid for their own use. He added that a recent investigation by Syria TV has exposed the regime’s use of international aid for constructing real estate projects, which puts legal and ethical responsibility on the donors.
Barakat highlighted that the misappropriation of this aid has an adverse effect, as it essentially becomes a revenue source for the regime and its military apparatus, which continues to harm civilians and prevent Syria from achieving stability.
Syria TV published an in-depth investigation revealing that the Assad regime used international aid to support the construction of the Marota City real estate project.
A source from the Damascus Governorate told Syria TV that Sham Holding Company took advantage of construction materials the regime had obtained, which were initially intended for building schools and infrastructure in areas impacted by the February 6 earthquake. These materials were redirected to construct residential blocks in the Marota City project.
The same source noted that the groundwork for the project’s infrastructure began using materials that entered Syria under the pretense of school construction, funded by European donors. At the beginning of this year, work began on designating the area for the first organized zone, covering 214.9 hectares in the southeastern Mezzeh area, behind al-Razi Hospital. An additional 890-hectare zone was also allocated for the project encompassing neighborhoods south of the Southern Ring Road (including areas such as al-Lawan, Bayader Nader, Nahr Aisha, al-Dahadil, East and West Qadam), as well as al-Asali up to Street 30.
The source further said that the project’s timeline is five years, during which all buildings in the designated areas will be demolished in phases, without providing alternative housing for displaced residents or businesses.
(Source: SOC’s Media Department)
