SYRIA

DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL AFFAIRS

THE LIBERATED AREAS

Department of Sailiya Affairs

#Syria_earthquake

STATEMENT

The Department of Political Affairs in the liberated areas, with the participation of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Development and Humanitarian Affairs, held a meeting with the UN delegation on Tuesday morning, 14th of February 2023, with the participation of the most prominent United Nations agencies (WFP, WHO, IOM, UNICEF, UNHCR); The meeting included:

Conveying the suffering of our people in the liberated areas as a result of the earthquake, the numbers of deaths and injured people, and informing the UN delegation of the civilians' dissatisfaction about the United Nations' unresponsiveness and their failure to contribute to rescuing those trapped under the rubble and providing the necessary aid and tools for that.

Rejecting the criminal Syrian regime's exploitation of the catastrophe of the earthquake victims and rejecting its attempts to benefit from it to obtain more UN aid. So, all parties must respect humanitarian principles and not politicize the humanitarian file in the liberated north of Syria in a way that serves to benefit and support Assad's criminal.

Urging efforts to respond to those affected by the earthquake in a manner commensurate with the magnitude of the disaster and to contribute in providing what ensures a decent life for the affected people, and giving priority to transparency and humanitarian principles.

In the end, the delegation of the Political Affairs Department stressed the facilitation of humanitarian work in all its fields.

On the other hand, the attitude of the international delegation was:

They renewed their condolences and apologized for the failure and delay in rescuing those trapped under the rubble, and promised to correct the errors resulting from that, and stressed commitment to impartiality, independence, transparency and nonalignment.

They stressed the continuation and increase of support for the regions of northwestern Syria across the borders, in a way that alleviates suffering and guarantees a decent life for civilians.

They announced the launch of a special donation campaign targeting the earthquake victims.

14 February 2023

23 Rajab 1444