Solving the crisis in Syria requires combating terrorism, lifting the sanctions and supporting early recovery projects: Sabbagh

Solving the humanitarian crisis in Syria requires the Security Council to take action to combat terrorism, halt the repeated violations of Syria’s sovereignty, lift the sanctions imposed on Syria and encourage countries of the world to support early recovery projects in the country, Syria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Bassam Sabbagh said in a statement during a Security Council meeting on Wednesday dedicated for discussing the political and humanitarian situation in Syria.

The Security Council also should abandon its silence over the politicization of the humanitarian aid and the refugees’ return files, over the systematic looting of Syria’s resources by the US occupation forces and over the irresponsible behavior of the Turkish regime, Sabbagh added.

He said that Syria has exerted great efforts to fight terrorism that resulted in the liberation of wide areas and it has perpetuated national reconciliation and dealt positively with all true initiatives presented within the framework of the political process through supporting Astana meetings on Syria and following up the work of the constitutional committee.

Sabbagh also said that that the cross-border aid delivery mechanism contains many defects and violations and it reflects a blatant selectivity and discrimination among the Syrians, stressing that the feverish attempts by the United States and the European Union countries to extend this mechanism, alleging their humanitarian keenness on the Syrian people, are not consistent with their unprecedented immoral and inhuman siege they have been imposing on the Syrians.

He clarified that the refusal of some countries to allow achieving progress in the work of the aid delivery mechanism within the country clearly indicates these countries’ attempt to prove that this mechanism is invalid and can’t replace the cross-border aid delivery mechanism, although it goes in complete consistency with the principles of humanitarian action and it respects Syria’s sovereignty.

Sabbagh expressed astonishment over some parties’ ignoring of  the escalating acts of looting Syria’s oil, wheat and other natural reources by the US occupation and its affiliated “SDF” militia.

He also called for condeming the Turkish occupation and its mercenaries’ repeated acts of cutting off water supplies for Hasakah as this provocative behavior deprives the citizens in this area from potable water in a blatant war crime.

Hamda Mustafa