Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
Related Articles
New York, SANA – Syria’s Permanent Representative to the UN Bashar al-Jaafari reiterated that the Syrian government is committed to full cooperation with the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to deliver humanitarian aid to affected civilians in all Syrian areas, including those described by the UN as “inaccessible” or “besieged”.
“The Syrian government didn’t and will not practice a starvation policy against its people,” al-Jaafari asserted in a press conference following a UN Security Council session to discuss the humanitarian situation in Syria.
He explained that it is the terrorist organizations that seized the humanitarian assistance supplies sent to civilians in the areas under their control, clarifying that this was what happened in Madaya town, located in northwestern Damascus countryside.
The terrorists in Madaya, al-Jaafari elaborated, stored the stolen aid in their warehouses and have been selling them to civilians at high prices to achieve certain goals and ensure their staying in the area.
He went on saying that the Turkish authorities have also hindered delivery of humanitarian aid across border to other “areas of tension”.
Syria’s UN Ambassador questioned the reports on the humanitarian situation in Madaya town, saying they are based on false information and completely ignore the deteriorating humanitarian situation in other areas besieged by the terrorist organizations.
He quoted the ICRC representative in Damascus as saying few days ago that “there is no starvation problem in Madaya.”
It is a priority for the Syrian government to maintain the safety and security of humanitarian workers, and it is also its priority to ensure that humanitarian aid is delivered to the beneficiaries and not fall in the terrorist organizations’ hands, said al-Jaafari, adding that these points are two essential UN-adopted issues.
Al-Jaafari reminded of the Syrian government’s agreeing to demands from the UNICEF, the World Food Program and ICRC to deliver medical, relief and humanitarian aid to the towns of Madaya, al-Fouaa and Kafraya on January 8 and to the demands of the UN and ICRC to deliver aid to al-Zabadani, Madaya, al-Fouaa and Kafraya on October 18th, 2015.
He made it clear that those areas described as “besieged” and “inaccessible” are controlled by the terrorist organizations that are using the civilians there as human shields and blocking aid delivery.
Reem/H.Said
