For Immediate Release
July 8, 2020
Washington, D.C.- In response to the ongoing negotiations in the UN Security Council for the renewal of cross-border assistance to Syria, Dr. Mufaddal Hamadeh, SAMS President, has released the following statement:
“We are deeply concerned by efforts to reduce the number of crossings in the cross-border mechanism, which is a vital lifeline to the 4 million civilians living in northwest Syria. At a time when the humanitarian needs are growing and the threat of COVID-19 remains, such action would be nothing short of reckless.”
“Both border crossings in the northwest – Bab al-Hawa and Bab al-Salam – provide critical, life-saving humanitarian assistance to highly vulnerable populations. Bab al-Hawa is used to support 2.8 million people in Idlib, while Bab al-Salam is used to support 1.4 million people in Northern Aleppo. Presently, there is no proven alternative that can deliver assistance to these populations on such a large scale.”
“We reiterate our call for both crossings in the Northwest to be renewed for 12 months. The Security Council must set aside politics and instead pass a resolution that reflects the humanitarian needs on the ground in Syria. This also includes addressing the dire humanitarian situation in northeast Syria.”
SAMS operates 50 medical facilities in northwest Syria. Last year, we provided 2,452,082 services to 1,142,164 individuals. In 2019, SAMS delivered 238 containers to its medical facilities in northwest Syria, totaling over $12 million in medical and humanitarian assistance.
For media inquiries, contact SAMS Senior Media & Communications Manager Lobna Hassairi at lobna.hassairi@sams-usa.net
