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Excellencies, distinguished delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen;
I thank you for your invitation to attend this meeting, and I extend my gratitude in this regard to my compatriots from LACU and other NGOs and SCOs in their valuable participation in this event, as well as SNC, and to the distinguished sponsors of this event.
For the second year in a raw I am invited to this event, which gives us the opportunity to address you as the main stakeholders when it comes the Humanitarian Aid in Syria; Unfortunately, though, the situation has not improved, despite all the highly appreciated efforts in this regard, as the need is increasing, in light of the absence of early recovery and sustainable development strategies; and here we are meeting again, not to discuss the outlines of such strategies, which will tremendously improve the conditions of living for the Syrian’s in need, but unfortunately such discussion cannot take place cause we are not sure if there will be e renewal of the cross border resolution or not. It is disappointing that there is still a place for blackmailing in the international system; it is appalling that the Russian Federation is holding at least more than /6/ million Syrians, mostly internally displaced, hostages, and what is most saddening is the fact that we are allowing the Russian Federation to do so.
Yes, the situation is dire, but that should not mean, by any chance, that the Syrian people should be bullied into accepting any deal with the Russian Federation, and the international community should hinder no effort to stop rewarding the criminals.
Its needless to repeat the numbers and show the charts about the massive humanitarian need In Syria, not only in the opposition-controlled areas, but also in the areas under the control of the regime. It is also clear that the regime’s security apparatus and bureaucratic structures is sunk with corruption, and its officials are stealing the humanitarian aid from those in need, so how on earth we can trust them with any cross-line operations, especially that they already proofed with the crimes against humanity they perpetrated that Human Lives has no value to them.
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen;
IHSAN for Relief and Development, the organization I represent, has by itself successfully managed to provide more than four million services last year. Other local and international NGOs and Humanitarian aid institutions have provided no less than IHSAN to the population in North and NW Syria. Syrian NGOs are ready, and up to the challenge, but the failure to renew the resolution on cross-border operations will cause a clear inability for the United Nations and its partners to continue providing aid. There is no substitute for the Cluster System that is managed by the United Nations, which is the main tool to coordinate all humanitarian operations in North and NW as well as all of Syria, but there is a clear substitute to, with or without a Security council Resolution, the Cross-Border operations are obtained and preserved; if there will be a renewal this time it should be an open ended one; and if the Russian Federation will use the Veto to block it, our joint efforts to depoliticize the Humanitarian Aid, through other, yet legal options, should be strong. Syrian Lives Matters, as well as Ukrainian or any human live.
Excellencies, distinguished delegates;
I ended my statement last year by hoping that this very meeting this year will be about, how “to further enhance the work of this mechanism, rather than keep on lobbying for its existence”; I reiterate this wish, and express my highest appreciation for the efforts of your governments in keeping the cross-border mechanism alive, and away from any political black mail or miss use of such vital tool for preserving the lives of Syrians.