On Wednesday, March 28, 2018, Eng. Khaled Hboubati, President of SARC, and Mr. Ali Za’atari, the UN resident humanitarian coordinator in Syria held a press conference to acquaint mass media and journalists with the response carried out by SARC and UN in Afrin and Eastern Ghouta.
Mr. Hboubati stressed on the humanitarian message adopted by SARC and the workload that increases day after day with the continuing influx of people from Eastern Ghouta and Afrin. “The humanitarian responses carried out in Afrin and Eastern Ghouta are considered the biggest on the level of national societies in the world” he said. He called on all international organizations working in Syria especially the humanitarian partners (United Nations and International Committee of the Red Cross) to provide more support for SARC. “On the very beginning of the crisis in Syria, SARC and the humanitarian partners have shared their joint priorities with unlimited objective of responding to the Syrian people needs and delivering services to the due persons” he said.
Speaking about SARC response to Eastern Ghouta, Eng. Hboubati said, “we were receiving about 15 thousand civilians from Eastern Ghouta daily and we were not prepared for this large number. However, we managed, in cooperation with partners, to cover the greatest possible of people’s needs in 12 makeshift centers. “SARC provides life-saving relief aid of food and non-food along with primary health care, water and housing services for more than 75.000 persons from Eastern Ghouta. It also delivers humanitarian convoys to Eastern Ghouta and Afrin” he added.
Regarding Afrin response, Eng. Hboubati commented, “SARC volunteers withdrew from Afrin although we were making efforts to help civilians and were in the process of bringing in an aid convoy, but we could not obtain the necessary guarantees to ensure our safe access,” he said.
“The Turkish Red Crescent violates the principles of the International Movement of the Red Cross and Red Crescent through working inside Syria without a permission from SARC, who allowed covering all Syria.”
Mr. Za’atari confirmed on the close cooperation with the Syrian government, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), international organizations and NGOs to respond to the humanitarian situation in Eastern Ghouta and Afrin.
“UN, SARC and all partners have done tremendous work to help all people in need and to address the Severe crisis both in Eastern Ghouta and in Afrin” he said.
[g_slider2 source=”media: 40540,40542,40541”]
