Geneva-SANA- Chief of Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Section at United Nations Human Rights, Mohammad Alnsour , asserted that Syria is in dire need of reconstruction, noting that Western sanctions are negatively affecting the Syrian people.
In an interview with the UAE-based Akhbar Alaan”, Alnsour said: “We welcome the suspension of some sanctions recently, but this must go hand in hand with transitional justice. Reconstruction cannot take place at the expense of accountability and justice for the victims.”
Alnsour explained that the UN has been banned from working in Syria since 2011, and was forced to work on human rights files from outside the country. Currently, there is a UN team in Damascus working with the Syrian authorities on many files, such as rebuilding institutions on human rights foundations.
Regarding the Syrian refugees, Alnsour said that the United Nations is following up on this issue, and that the return of refugees from neighboring countries is ongoing, noting that the biggest challenge lies in the Syrian government’s ability to accommodate returnees in light of the lack of basic services.
