Sabbagh: Confrontation of catastrophic repercussions of the earthquake that hit Syria requires great international support

NEW YORK, Feb.28, (ST)- Syria’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Bassam Sabbagh, has asserted that confrontation of the catastrophic repercussions of the earthquake that hit Syria requires great international support and enormous capabilities, indicating that this will only be possible by giving humanitarian considerations priority over political ones, and an immediate, complete and unconditional lifting of the illegal coercive measures and sincere and real support for Syria and its people.

Speaking at the UN Security council session on the situation in Syria on Tuesday., Sabbagh said: “When Syria was healing its wounds and burying the people who died in the devastating earthquake, the Israeli occupation entity launched a missile attack on the 19th of this month on residential neighborhoods inhabited by civilians in the city of Damascus, which led to the martyrdom of 5 civilians and the injury of 15 civilians . Homes, educational centers and historical sites were damaged .This attack coincided with terrorist ISIS organization’s brutal attack in which 53 citizens were martyred and others were injured while they were gathering truffle in the city of Al-Sukhneh, east of Homs.”

The diplomat indicated that Syria called on the Security Council to assume its responsibilities and condemn the Israeli attacks, and to take the necessary measures to deter the occupation and ensure that its attacks are not repeated, and to hold the perpetrators accountable.
He added that Syria also called on the countries supporting the entity in the Security Council to stop obstructing the Council’s fulfillment of its responsibilities in stopping the crimes committed by the occupation and terrorist organizations and holding them accountable.

Sabbagh pointed out that Syria continues, within its available capabilities, to make all possible efforts to facilitate the emergency response to the effects of the devastating earthquake that left thousands of victims ,many injured, and destroyed hundreds of buildings, infrastructure and service facilities Syria has provided the necessary facilities and exemptions for the arrival of humanitarian aid and relief workers through the three Syrian airports and the sea port of Latakia. border crossing points with Lebanon and Jordan.

“Syria affirmed its commitment to deliver humanitarian aid to its citizens wherever they are on its territory, including in the northwest of the country, as it took a sovereign decision to approve the opening of two additional crossings, “Bab al-Salamah and al-Ra’i” for three months, to deliver humanitarian aid to our people in that region. The decision has so far contributed to the crossing of 423 trucks carrying humanitarian aid, which reflects the importance of the agreement reached with the United Nations,” he added.
The diplomat expressed Syria’s thanks and appreciation to all countries that showed solidarity with it and rushed to respond to the needs of its people in these difficult circumstances, which constituted an important support for the national efforts to mitigate the effects of the earthquake and save many injured people .Syria appreciates the Secretary-General of the United Nations decision for launching an urgent appeal to respond to the catastrophic repercussions of the earthquake, which must push international efforts towards assisting in the reconstruction of infrastructure and addressing the damage to the necessary service, health and educational facilities, which constitute an urgent need for the return of the displaced people affected by the earthquake to their areas and homes.
He in addition expressed deep concern over the low levels of funding for the Humanitarian Response Plan, as the 2022 plan received less than 50% of the funding, which requires donor countries to provide the necessary funding for the Humanitarian Response Plan and the urgent humanitarian appeal for Syria, in order to ensure that humanitarian assistance reaches the needy in all parts of the country.

Sabbagh affirmed that the United States and the European Union will not acknowledge the extent of the negative effects of the unjust unilateral measures they are imposing on Syria, ignoring that the restrictions imposed on the air transport sector and civil aviation equipment affected the safety of civilian passengers, and caused several difficulties for international relief flights to Syrian airports before and after the disaster. “Many international airlines have used Beirut Airport in fear of these measures, which has caused additional costs and time delays for aid to reach those affected by the earthquake.”

“The measures imposed on hospitals in Syria, and the refusal of international companies to sell necessary medicines and medical equipment, exacerbated the suffering of the health sector during the period of the Corona pandemic and the earthquake, and the restrictions imposed on importing oil and its derivatives caused an acute shortage of fuel used for heating, transportation, and power generation,” Sabbagh said .
He indicated that the sanctions imposed on the import of fertilizers needed for agricultural food production or the requirements for their local production caused great damage to Syria’s ability to produce agricultural products, contributed to a sharp rise in the cost of locally produced foodstuffs, undermined the food security of the Syrians, and caused severe malnutrition.
“Moreover, the sanctions imposed on Syrian banks, including the Central Bank, lead to freeze or sever financial relations with foreign banks, and thus the inability to implement the necessary financial transfers for all vital sectors.” The ambassador said.

Basma Qaddour