Chairman of the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Syria, Paulo Pinheiro, during a press conference, in Geneva, Switzerland, March 2, 2020. Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP
Both the Syrian government and the United Nations failed to come to the aid of the Syrians after the devastating earthquake of February 6, denounced Monday February 13 the International Commission of Inquiry on Syria.
“While there have been many acts of heroism amid the suffering, we have also witnessed the utter failure of the government and the international community, including the United Nations, to quickly direct vital aid to the Syrianssaid Commission President Paulo Pinheiro in a statement issued on the occasion of the publication of a new report.
Failure of a deal
“They failed to secure an agreement on an immediate hiatus in hostilities. They have failed to facilitate the delivery of vital aid through all available channels“, accuses the Commission, underlining the feeling of abandonment of the Syrians and the need for investigation.
The magnitude 7.8 quake, followed by another nine hours later of magnitude 7.6, killed nearly 46,000 people and injured 105,000 in Turkey, according to non-final reports. Nearly 6,000 people also lost their lives in Syria, according to the authorities. The earthquake has multiplied the challenge posed to humanitarian organizations to come to the aid of the Syrian population, in particular in the rebel zone of Idlib (north-west), the country being hit by international sanctions and the access roads to the only border crossing point that was authorized by Damascus before the earthquake had themselves been damaged.
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violation of human rights
The United States and the European Union have since eased sanctions on Syria, while Damascus has agreed to allow the UN to open more border crossings to help deliver more aid. The Commission accuses the government and the Syrian National Army of havingprevented cross-border aid to affected communitiesand the jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (Levant Liberation Organization) in northwestern Syria for havingrefused cross-border aid from Damascus“.
“We are currently investigating several allegations that parties to the conflict deliberately obstructed humanitarian assistance to affected communitiessaid Commissioner Hanny Megally in the statement. In its latest report published on Monday, written before the earthquake, the Commission reports persistent violations of human rights and humanitarian law throughout the country during the last six months of 2022, and in particular the particularly appalling situation of Syrians along the front lines in the north and north-west of the country.
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