Deteriorated Health Conditions in the Golan , Result of Occupation Repressive Practices- Minister

GENEVA,(ST)_ Minister  of Health, Dr. Saad Nayef stressed  health conditions of the Syrian citizens in the occupied Golan “are  deteriorating as a result of the Israeli occupation and its repressive practices” ,  and the lack of   health care services .

In his speech during a session of the World Health Assembly in Geneva dedicated to health conditions in the occupied Syrian Golan and the occupied Palestinian territories , the Minister noted  continued suffering of Syrian prisoners in Israeli jails , resulted in disabilities such as sight loss and ,liver infections , acute intestinal infections, spinal pain and other injuries and life-threatening diseases .

He added that  Syrian and Arab prisoners are continuously used   as experiments to test drugs and subjected to the worst kinds of torture and ill-treatment in order  to extract confessions from them   for acts , they did not commit .

 He  also pointed the Israeli occupation authorities burial of  nuclear waste and barrels  containing radioactive materials and toxic substances in secret warehouses within the Golan territory in addition to mining the cease-fire line with nuclear mines and radioactive materials, stressing that such acts are but a  crime contrary to all norms of international humanitarian  conventions and a flagrant assault to the Syrian people.

 “Syria  holds the Israeli occupation authorities responsible   for any environmental or health complications in the villages of the Golan result from the burial of this toxic waste ” the Minister stressed.

 “The  Israeli occupation authorities ignored over the past years repeated requests by Syria, on  the need to provide medical service for the Syrian citizens in the villages of the occupied Golan, especially building  construction four health centers in Majdal Shams, Buq’ata , Ein Qenya and al-Ghajar  villages.” He underscored.

 “The Immoral practices of the Israeli occupation authorities confirm the international community’s inability to carry out its responsibilities towards the rights of Syrian citizens in the occupied Golan”, the minister said , calling  on WHO “to intervene immediately and take effective action to stop the inhuman Israeli practices against the health of the Syrian citizen.”

 The World Health  Assembly  which approved a draft resolution on the health conditions in the occupied  Golan, by a majority of votes and opposed by Israel and the US , Canada and Australia  due to be released at the end of its meetings  next week. ” 

The resolution demands WHO Director-General to provide technical assistance related to the health of the Syrian population in the occupied Golan. 

The Assembly began works of its 66th session on Monday and will continue through  May 28, with the participation of 194 countries. 

T. Fateh