Armed Groups in Eastern Ghouta Using Civilians as Human Shields, Preventing Access to Humanitarian Aid: Munzer

NEW YORK, (ST)- Acting Charge d’ Affairs of the Syrian permanent delegation to the United Nations Munzer Munzer has stressed that the armed groups in eastern Ghouta in Damascus Countryside are besieging civilians, using them as human shields and preventing their access to humanitarian aid.  

The Syrian government continues to deliver humanitarian aid to those who need and it stresses that any aid deliveries should be coordinated with the government in accordance with the Syrian laws and regulations, Munzer said in a statement at a Security Council session held on Tuesday to discuss the 46th weekly report of the UN undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock on the situation in Syria

Although the report explained that the United Nations has succeeded in delivering humanitarian aid to millions of affected people inside Syria thanks to facilitations provided by the Syrian State and its institutions, Syria still sees that the report needs to be more balanced and objective, Munzer said. He added that Syria also stresses the importance of commitment to UN resolutions on respecting Syria’s sovereignty and on providing humanitarian support for all who need in Syria without selectivity or politicization.

 The report depended on politicized and unreliable sources

Munzer went on to say that the report depended on politicized and unreliable sources and ignored the reliable sources of the Syrian government, pointing out that the government regrets the remarks made by those who prepared the report about what they called “administrative obstacles and deliberate restrictions that hinder the delivery of humanitarian assistance to unstable areas”.

He also said “Syria believes that aid delivery across the borders is not justified any more, particularly after the establishment of the de-escalation zones which created necessary circumstances to deliver humanitarian aid from inside the Syria to those who need.”

The Syrian diplomat made it clear that the report didn’t mention neither the refusal of Jordan and the United States to deliver aid to al-Rukban refugee camp nor the Turkish refusal to open Nasibin crossing. He stressed that this behavior constitutes a flagrant violation of Humanitarian International Law and reflects double standards and politicization in dealing with the file of aid coming across borders.

  UN staff shouldn’t deal  with “separatist entities, Unlicensed NGOs

He pointed out that the Syrian government has stressed that the UN staff working in Syria should avoid dealing with any “separatist entities” or illegal “local councils” or unlicensed non-government organizations, as many of these bodies have close links with armed terrorist groups.

Munzer also said that the Syrian government is astonished at using terms like “besieged areas” by those who prepared the report when talking about the situation in Eastern Ghouta, while they keep ignoring the fact that the armed groups in these area are besieging civilians, using them as human shields and preventing their access to humanitarian aid. The armed groups capture the aid convoys and distribute their contents on the groups’ members and sell them in high prices to needy people, he clarified.

He renewed the Syrian government’s call on those who prepared the report to talk openly about the deeply negative impacts of the unilateral economic sanctions imposed by the United States, the EU and some other countries on Syria, stressing that these sanctions have affected all basic sectors as well as the activities of the UN agencies and the foreign NGOs working  in Syria.   

Hamda Mustafa