Syria: Occupation, Terrorism and Economic Sanctions Have Been Main Causes of Humanitarian Crises in Region
GENEVA, (ST)- Syria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva Husamuddin Ala has stressed that attempts to destabilize countries and undermine their institutions to weaken and overthrow governments have become the main cause of many humanitarian crises and forced displacement waves witnessed in some countries.
Ala, who was speaking during 69th Session of the Executive Committee of the United Nations Commissioner for Refugees, said that occupation, terrorism and unilateral coercive economic measures have been the main causes of humanitarian crises in the region. He called for eliminating the root causes of forced displacement in order to stop the suffering and create suitable circumstances for the return of the displaced people to their homelands and original residence places.
“The Israeli occupation is the main cause of the forced displacement of millions of Palestinian refugees, more than half a million of them have been staying in Syria over the past 70 years. The Israeli occupation of the Syrian Golan in 1967 have also caused the displacement of more than half a million Syrian citizens,” Ala clarified.
He went on to say that “the foreign-baked terrorism in Syria and the use of terrorism as a tool to fight the Syrian state, in addition to the unilateral coercive economic measures imposed by some countries on the Syrian people, are major reasons behind the Syrians’ internal and external displacement.”
Ala made it clear that in order to help the Syrian refugees return home, Syria reiterates the need to cancel and lift all the unilateral coercive measures which affect all vital sectors in the country that can provide basic services that meet citizens’ needs. He regretted ignoring the negative impacts of the coercive measures on the basic rights of the Syrians and on the government’s ability to meet citizens’ requirements.
The Syrian Permanent Representative said that the situation in most Syrian areas has become safer and more stable thanks to the achievements of the Syrian Arab army in the fight against terrorism and due to the success of local reconciliation in stopping bloodshed. These circumstances have enabled many citizens to return to their houses from which they were displaced because of terrorism, he pointed out.
The Syrian Permanent Representative said that the situation in most Syrian areas has become safer and more stable thanks to the achievements of the Syrian Arab army in the fight against terrorism and due to the success of local reconciliation in stopping bloodshed. These circumstances have enabled many citizens to return to their houses from which they were displaced because of terrorism, he pointed out.
He affirmed the government’s efforts to rehabilitate and restore normal life in the areas liberated by the Syrian from terrorism, thereby helping displaced Syrians voluntarily return to their homeland. He noted the government’s call on all the Syrians who were forced because of terrorism to leave their country to return home, stressing that thousands of displaced Syrians have returned home from Lebanon as a result of coordination between the Syrian government and the Lebanese side.
Ala called on the concerned international organizations to cooperate and actively contribute to ensuring the requirements of the refugees’ return by carrying out development projects and focusing on supporting the government’s efforts to provide basic services and rehabilitate the infrastructure.
He hoped that the UNHCR will come up with positive initiatives in the light of the return of security and stability to the Syrian areas liberated from terrorism and urged its effective contribution to shedding light on the government’s efforts to restore normal life in these areas.
Hamda Mustafa