Quake impacted areas in Syria become “epicenter of neglect” – UN
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – UN-appointed International Commission of Inquiry on Syria accused on Monday Syrian government and other parties to the conflict in Syria, the international community, and the UN of neglecting millions of Syrians after February earthquakes.
“Many days were lost without any aid to the survivors of the earthquake, which became an epicenter of neglect,” VOA reported, citing Paulo Pinheiro, chair of the commission as saying.
Failure to provide timely aid and protection to Syrian earthquake victims has cost the lives of many civilians caught in this catastrophic disaster, according to the three-member panel.
He said the warring parties failed to agree on an immediate suspension in hostilities in northwest Syria.
The Syrian government took a full week after the quake to allow two additional border crossings to open for the delivery of lifesaving aid, including letting in rescue teams and equipment.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad agreed to allow UN aid deliveries to opposition-held areas in northwest Syria through two additional border crossings with Turkey for three months, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Feb. 13.
Lynn Welchman, a commission member, noted that the government “has a duty to allow impartial humanitarian aid to come through without waiting for a Security Council resolution mandating this.”
“But because of the dysfunction of the Security Council, it has become impossible to avoid political brinksmanship in the Security Council on this issue, which comes at the expense of civilian lives and welfare,” she added.
Commission member, Hanny Megally, accused opposition factions of deliberately obstructing humanitarian aid from the three agreed up on border crossings.
“This was an earthquake. It was an exceptional circumstance,” he said, accusing the UN and international community of being paralyzed in the early stages of the relief efforts.
The commission necessitated launching an investigation to understand how this comprehensive failure to support millions of people in dire need could have happened.
In addition, the commission, in its latest report on the Syrian crisis, documented “increasing insecurity” in the government-held areas, where people were arbitrary imprisoned, tortured, maltreated and were subjected to enforced disappearances, according to VOA.
Regarding northeast Syria, the three-member panel called on states to speed up the repatriation of citizens from camps for Islamic State (ISIS) family members in northeast Syria.