A Letter from President of the Syrian Coalition on World Humanitarian Day

Syrian Coalition

Presidential Office

August 19, 2013

On behalf of the Syrian people, I express my deepest gratitude to aid workers; in particular those who are risking their lives in order to relieve the Syrian people. The best way to relieve the Syrian people is to remove the Assad regime, that is slaughtering innocent citizens and destroying Syria on a daily basis.

The numbers of internally displaced people in Syria are soaring, and more people are fleeing their homes to neighboring countries. As the humanitarian crisis continues in a downward spiral, the demand for staple foods, water, shelters, clothing, medicine, and education increases dramatically.

Aid workers, as well as humanitarian organizations, have worked hard to assist the Syrian people, as they face slaughter and annihilation. But the continues to be high as Assad pushed forth in his destruction of Syria. Moreover, the Assad regime prevents relief teams from operating freely in areas under its control. United Nations agencies have announced the largest ever humanitarian appeal in order to cope with the situation in Syria.

The Syria people have always been at the forefront of world relief efforts, providing assistance to people in times of war and natural disaster. They hope the international community will not give up on them during these difficult times; though vital, humanitarian relief alone is not enough. The cause of the suffering must be addressed. We must bring an end to Assad’s criminal regime.

The Syrian people are extremely grateful for aid workers and relief organizations. However, we reiterate that removing the Assad regime is the first step towards achieving their aspirations of freedom, justice, peace, and equality.

Mr. Ahmad Al-Jarba