Damascus, March 9th 2018
Aligned with its plan to deliver urgent relief aids to hard-to-reach areas, Syrian Arab Red Crescent has succeeded in entering 3 humanitarian convoys containing lifesaving food and non-food items (medicines, medical supplies, baby milk, and water and sanitation items) to Afrin, Ad-Dar Al-Kabeera in Northern rural Homs, and Eastern Ghouta in collaboration with its humanitarian partners ICRC and UN.
For 10 days, all SARC’s teams have been on full alert to deliver aids in dire circumstances, first in Afrin, where a humanitarian convoy enough for 50,000 people entered the area (despite being delayed because of inadequate guarantees and the fear of being targeted),then a convoy for 35,000 people in Ad-Dar Al-Kabeera and one to Douma including food relief aids for 27,500 people and health items for more than 70,000 people. Moreover, on Friday 9th, SARC’s teams were able to enter Eastern Ghouta again to continue the mission of Monday’s convoy.
For the first time a mobile health clinic accompanying the convoy managed to enter Douma to support our medical health team and help in providing basic health care and medicine for kids and people with health problems.
Engineer Khaled Hboubati, the president of SARC stated that “we will continue our work to deliver more humanitarian aids in cooperation and coordination with the Syrian High Relief Committee”, and added “we call for all parties to protect our staff in order to fulfill our humanitarian duties and alleviate the suffering of the most vulnerable population guided by the fundamental movement principles of red cross and red crescent”.
SARC renews its calls to all parties to release and clarify the whereabouts of the head of SARC’s branch Idlib Mr. Mohammad Abdulkader Wittee with whom SARC lost contact on Feb 17th 2018 while performing his humanitarian duties on the road between Ariha and Idlib.
SARC’s teams continue their response to the increasing humanitarian needs all over Syria, and they are ready to fulfill their humanitarian duties in Beit Jinn in rural Damascus, Raqqa, Idlib and Deir ez-Zor.
SARC reminds all parties that it is a neutral and independent organization guided by the seven fundamental movement principles of Red Cross and red crescent.
