Afrin IDPs protest siege...Russian forces promise to open way for humanitarian cases

Hundreds of Afrin IDPs, in addition to doctors, nurses, members of the Kurdish Red Crescent, and health workers gathered in the village of Al-Washia, to demonstrate against the practices of the Syrian government through its unjust siege on al-Shahba canton and preventing the entry of medicines and transferring patients to Aleppo hospitals.

The demonstrators carried placards in Arabic and Russian, "Every day Syrian children are in the cycle of death by shooting them or preventing them from accessing medicine. Let the children live in peace.” After that, the demonstrators headed to the Russian base in the village of Al-Washia, while chanting slogans calling for lifting the siege of Al-Shahba canton.

When the demonstrators arrived at the Russian base, they stopped a minute of silence, after which a delegation composed of three people from the health field, (Hevin Hussein - Muhammad Nour Shabab, the co-chair of the Health Authority in Afrin region, and the administration of Afrin Hospital, Dr. Othman Sheikh Issa), and handed them medical reports for four citizens. They lost their lives, including three children, and an hour-long discussion with Russian officers at the Russian base.

While the delegation was in the Russian base, it issued a statement on behalf of the Health Authority, which was read in both Arabic and Kurdish by members of the Health Authority, Talaatand BanginJergo.

The text of the statement read: "Yesterday, in occupied Afrin and they as well as the whole world, saw how the tombs of the martyrs were dug up without taking into account their values or sanctities.

As for the IDPs Afrin and in the state of semi-siege areas of al-Shahba, which has been increasing day by day for more than three years, the aforementioned restraint of death and restrictions is still chasing them and by various means.

As if the pain of occupation and forcibly displacement were not enough to complete those wounds more and more through restrictions and siege and bargaining with them over their most basic rights.

In the face of all this, volcanoes of raising questions. Will the aforementioned restrictive measures make the future of the Syrian-Syrian national dialogue in the wind? How will these actions be reflected on concepts and statements such as (extending the hand for dialogue), (the embrace of the homeland), (national belonging) and (national cohesion), or will they, on the contrary, lead to the consolidation of concepts of hatred and deepening of the sense of marginalization?

It is certain that for the families of children who lost their lives due to stopping the ambulance from working and preventing them from reaching the most specialized medical centers in a timely and expeditious manner. All the structural expressions of mourning and lamentation are worth nothing in front of the innocence and holiness of those pure souls who have not yet been defiled by the darkness of war.

Do the fates decreed that the Afrinians and their children lose their lives, either by the grudge shells that pursue them, even in their displacement ordeal, or to get hopeless, even in their natural right to health and treatment?!!!

Is not it reasonable, logical, right and fair to provide all facilities and maximum means of support to advocate the existing health institutions that provide humanitarian services to all existing components, whether they are displaced or free residents?

Why not, for example, for a hospital like Avrin Hospital, with the great services it provides to its citizens, has multiple ambulances that carry out the duty of immediate transport of patients in need of treatment anywhere in their Syrian homeland?

There is no doubt that bypassing those administrative and bureaucratic procedures that hinder and impede the immediate transfer of critically ill patients in which minutes may be crucial to preserving their lives is a matter of importance at all levels, especially the humanitarian one.

On behalf of all residents of al-Shahba areas or their components - residents or displaced persons, and on behalf of all members of the medical staff working in health service provision institutions, we call on all those actors mentioned to come out of their negativity and take the initiative to announce their positions rejecting all those measures aimed at restricting the lives of civilians, which will inevitably lead to damage or put health or lives at risk, towards the freedom to enter all medical or drug needs, as well as freedom of movement for patients for the purpose of treatment.

Sincere condolences to the families of the children (Joanna Hussein - Aya Hamo - Mohamed Amin Kor Hamdo - as well as the elderly Mohamed Hassen Musa) who lost their lives due to the delay in providing them with assistance.

No to restrictions, sieges and preventing supplies from reaching al-Shahba areas."

Then the delegation left the Russian base after handing it over the medical reports of four civilians, three of whom were children who lost their lives due to the suffocating siege on al-Shahba areas, and the Syrian Red Crescent's ambulance not arriving in time and delaying it for several hours.

The delegation members told the demonstrators that after receiving the medical reports, the Russian forces promised to allow the ambulance of Avrin Hospital to transport patients to Aleppo hospitals starting on Sunday, in addition to holding a meeting on how to pass medicines to the area.

A / D.H

ANHA