Sabbagh: Syria ready to join all constructive efforts aiming at alleviating the Syrians’ suffering

Syria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Bassam Sabbagh thanked Russia for submitting a balanced draft resolution on extending the work in the Mechanism for Cross-Border Aid Delivery into Syria for 6 months based on resolution No. 2585 issued last July, and hailed its efforts to guarantee securing the Syrians’ humanitarian needs in an effective and transparent way. He also thanked all the countries which supported the draft resolution with the aim of improving the humanitarian situation in Syria, increasing and enhancing early recovery projects in the country and delivering humanitarian aid to all the Syrians who need from inside Syria.

During a Security Council session on Friday, Sabbagh stressed Syria’s readiness to be part of all positive and constructive efforts to alleviate the suffering of the Syrians based on respecting Syria’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.

He reiterated that Syria has been exerting tireless efforts to meet the basic humanitarian needs of citizens and it has explained the obstacles placed by some western countries to impede this process, including the politicization of the humanitarian file, double standards, the coercive measures imposed by the West on Syria and the wrong policies of the western countries.

The Syrian diplomat affirmed the need to empower the Syrian Arab Red Crescent and the International Committee of the Red Cross to supervise the delivery of humanitarian aid so that this aid will not end up in the hands of the terrorist organizations. He also stressed the need to implementing early recovery projects and enlisting vital sectors, like electricity on which all humanitarian activities related to securing the basic services like healthcare, education, water and others depend.

Sabbagh clarified that Syria holds the United States, France and Britain fully responsible for foiling the implementation of the core principles of Resolution No. 2585 by voting in favor of the Ireland and Norway-initiated draft resolution although it doesn’t form a true response to the humanitarian needs in Syria.

He made it clear that these western countries must realize that their wrong and hostile policies towards Syria and starving the Syrian people will not serve the interest of anyone, reiterating that Syria completely agrees with the compelling reasons that led Russia to veto the western resolution and hails Moscow’s keenness on attaining an acceptable, effective, balance and transparent humanitarian response.

Hamda Mustafa