Al-Jaafari: Some Parties in Geneva Shed Crocodile Tears on Humanitarian Situation in Syria

GENEVA, (ST)- The crocodile tears shed by some parties in Geneva on the humanitarian situation in Syria are nothing but a kind of evident hypocrisy and lies, Head of the Syrian Arab Republic’s delegation to the Geneva intra-Syrian talks Bashar al-Jaafari has stressed, clarifying that these parties themselves are the cause of the humanitarian catastrophe and the deteriorating living condition in Syria because they brought the illegal coercive measures and sanctions adopted against the Syrian people.

 Talking to reporters on Friday following the delegation’s meeting with the UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura, al-Jaafari said that today’s discussion were dedicated to humanitarian issues.

“We talk in details about the most important achievements made by the Syrian government  over the past four months in the field of humanitarian assistance,” al-Jaafari said.

He explained that the government in coordination with the U.N and the Syrian Red Crescent Society managed to deliver many human aid convoys to a lot of people in several areas including hot spots like al-Rastan in northern Homs.

The government also set up hundreds of shelter centers for the displaced families, it has supervised these centers and offered relief aid to the people there, al-Jaafari added.

 “We have a Higher Relief Commission presided over by the deputy prime minister…this commission offers health, education, food and other services to the people in these center,” he said, noting that the government also gave cash compensation for the people who lost their houses and properties.

Al-Jaafari went on to say that the government also established a program called “Mashrou’ai” (May project) in cooperation with the Syria Trust for Development to provide interests-free loans to the needy families as to help them stable in their areas and improve their socio-economic condition.

“These government’s efforts have been exerted under the coercive unilateral measures and sanctions imposed on the Syrian people by the European Union, the United States and some Arab countries,” al-Jaafari stressed.

He pointed out that all, even in the Security Council, have realized the existence of some organized international terrorism networks which are supervised by certain intelligence bodies and which are facilitating the entry of terrorists into Syria across borders.

He said that the countries which have been supporting terrorism in Syria including Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, have killed the spirit of the United Nations and destroyed the principles of the international law, yet, regrettably, the international community rewarded these countries by giving them the honor to supervise UN humanitarian summits and counterterrorism centers, for example.

Al-jaafari pointed out that the delegation will meet with de Mistura on Monday at 11 a.m. to discuss the modifications the delegation made on de Mistura’s paper.

Hamda Mustafa