Press release
Syrian Opposition Coalition
Department of Media and Communications
August 16, 2023
The Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC) is 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. The SOC highlights that this incident is consistent with a recurring pattern where humanitarian aid is either misappropriated or prevented from reaching those who require it.
The SOC emphasizes 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 reported to allocate 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 calls 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 advocates 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.
