Sabbagh: Syria is keen to ensure implementation of humanitarian issues in accordance with principles of neutrality and non-discrimination

Syria’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Bassam Sabbagh, affirmed Syria’s keenness to ensure the preservation of human rights and the provision of necessary humanitarian assistance to all areas of crisis. But at the same time, Syria refuses to politicize humanitarian issues, which it has suffered blatantly over the past years.

In his speech on Wednesday during the resumption of the emergency session of the United Nations General Assembly on Ukraine, Sabbagh said that “Syria shares with all member states the concern to ensure the preservation of human rights and the importance of providing the necessary humanitarian assistance to all crisis areas. But at the same time, Syria rejects any politicization of humanitarian issues and is keen to ensure implementation of humanitarian operations in accordance with the principles of neutrality and non-discrimination. Syria has suffered over the past ten years and continues to suffer from blatant politicization, blatant manipulation and unparalleled hypocrisy in dealing with humanitarian issues it faced.”

Sabbagh considered resorting to the request to resume the emergency special session and present the “French-Mexican” draft resolution before the General Assembly as clear evidence of these countries’ lack of interest in addressing humanitarian issues in Ukraine, but rather their focus on passing hostile political positions to the Russian Federation by drawing a wrong one-dimensional picture.

Sabbagh pointed out that the important forum of the United Nations is witnessing once again the exploitation of human rights issues in order to create a state of polarization and politicization and use them to serve the political interests of some through the resort of a number of countries to confuse issues related to dealing with the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine with their anti-Russian political stances.

Sabbagh stressed the importance that countries claiming concern for human rights should pay equal attention to all displaced persons inside and outside Ukraine, and provide quick and safe humanitarian access without obstacles, including for foreigners present in them, and facilitate their return to their countries without delay or discrimination.

Sabbagh highlighted the efforts made by the Russian Federation in dealing with the humanitarian side during its special operation in Ukraine and its provision of humanitarian assistance to civilians under siege in a number of Ukrainian cities who are being used as human shields, in addition to securing a number of humanitarian crossings towards the East and the West to ensure the safe passage of civilians to the destinations they desire, without any discrimination.

Inas abdulkareem