World Refugee Day

Press Release

Syrian Coalition

June 20, 2014

Today, the Syrian Coalition highly applauds the sacrifice, strength, and determination of Syrian refugees and internally displaced persons, whose homes and lives were destroyed by a brutal regime.

The number of Syrian refugees, including unregistered refugees, in neighboring countries reached 3.550.000 and the number of internally displaced people exceeded 6 million. Most of those face dire circumstances and struggle on a daily basis against hunger, cold, thirst, and disease. Thousands of civilians remain trapped in regime-besieged areas, including internally displaced people, where regime forces deny relief organizations access to deliver aid.

The Syrian Coalition commends the work of countries hosting Syrian refugees especially Turkey, Lebanon, Iraq, and Jordan. Those countries are carrying the heaviest burden of accommodating the ever increasing numbers of Syrians fleeing the violence in Syria. The Coalition also calls on the international community to stand by those countries and as they struggle to meet the needs of thousands of refugees.

However, the most vital assistance a Syrian refugee could receive is to get back home, and that is only possible by creating the conditions conducive to a successful political settlement through the implementation of - including forcing the regime to abide by- the internationally-endorsed Geneva Communiqué of 2012.

May our wounded recover, our detainees be free, and our fallen heroes rest in peace.

Long live Syria and its people, free and with honor.