Caabu bemoans total failure of international community to help Syrian civilians

Caabu bemoans total failure of international community to help Syrian civilians

Events of the last few weeks have heralded a new low in the international community's failure to help innocent Syrian civilians in need. The 600,000 civilians living under siege have heard all forms of promises and commitments but routinely these have not been met. The low point is to promise to carry out drops from 1 June in the absence of the lifting of these sieges but then refusing to do so. The treatment of those under siege echoes the lamentable failure to end the conflict or provide safe refuge for millions of Syrians who have been forced to flee their country.

“We must remember the aid drops are an admission of failure as the regime in Damascus should be adhering to international law and allowing over ground aid convoys across the county," Caabu Director, Chris  Doyle told Middle East Eye.

"But if we are going to promise to [carry out] air drops, having already failed to lift the sieges, then we should at least deliver them. We have yet again got ourselves into a situation where the international community cannot live up to its commitments.  Even when aid has been delivered as it was to Daraya on 1 June, there was not even any food allowed through although anti-lice shampoo and sand fly nets were.”

In addition, the international community has failed in its obligations to end attacks on hospitals and other civilian targets. The bombing of hospitals in Idlib on 30 May was just the latest example of the complete contempt for the core principles of international law. Speaking on Al Jazeera English, Chris Doyle said that “questions must be asked about Russian involvement. As Russia denies bombing the hospitals, the only other realistic possibility would be its ally, the Syrian government. Is the Kremlin happy to back such behaviour?”