Damascus Government still imposes severe siege on Shahba canton

Damascus Government still imposes a severe siege on Shahba canton that houses Afrin IDPs, who are staying in the camps and semi destroyed homes in Shahba canton.

What is being deliberately done in Shahba canton by Damascus Government, particularly, the checkpoints are deployed on the main road between Aleppo city and Shahba canton, which belong to the State Security Forces, Air Force Intelligence, Military Security, in addition to the Fourth Division, prevent the entry of foodstuffs, fuel, medicines and medical supplies to hospitals and medical points.

The ambulance of patients in the province to Aleppo hospitals has also been prevented except through the Syrian Red Crescent Organization, which caused the loss of life of three infants and elderly children in the latter half of last July as a result of the neglect and delay of the organization's ambulance to Aleppo, which is only 15 minutes away.

Member of the Fuel Committee, Farid Youssef, told ANHA agency about the lack of the fuel in the canton that the situation is deteriorating due to the lack of raw materials, noting, "as, winter season approaches, and if fuel is not available to the people, we will face a humanitarian catastrophe in the camps and semi-destroyed homes."

Youssef added that they suffer greatly from securing fuel oil for electricity generators and tanks that distribute water to the people for free, indicating that private transportation and shops need more than a thousand barrels per month.

Agriculture in the province has been severely affected by the lack of fuel oil and climate fluctuations in conjunction with high temperatures and a lack of rain, as farmers are turning to planting varieties that do not need a lot of water.

On this, the co-chair of the Agricultural Affairs Department of Afrin, Nisreen Mohammad, said that "agriculture has declined significantly during the current year as a result of the arbitrary measures imposed by Damascus Government on the al-Shahba canton."

All agricultural projects stopped

She continued, "We are unable to help farmers due to the lack of diesel, fertilizers and agricultural supplies, and we cannot expand the projects belonging to the Agriculture Committee as a result of the blockade."

She pointed out that most of the agricultural machineries stopped working, noting that the Agricultural Affairs Department of Afrin region took the initiative to distribute the land to the people for cultivation, but the people refused; The lack of fuel oil and agricultural supplies.

The co-chair of the Agricultural Affairs Department of Afrin Canton, Nisreen Mohammad, indicated that most farmers have replaced their crops with others, provided that they are not irrigated.

In another aspect of the siege, Avrin Hospital and the medical points in al-Shahba canton are almost completely lacking in the essential medicines required at the present time.

Damascus Government is raising the price of medicine
In this regard, the Administrator of the Favin Central Pharmacy, Akram Arab, spoke to ANHA agency, saying" Most pharmaceutical factories have ceased to operate because of the cost of dollars and the import of raw materials from abroad, and the Government has issued three lists of drug prices, raising prices twice. "

Akram Arab attributed the high price and loss of medicines in Shahba areas to the decisions of the Health Ministry to raise the price of medicines and unjust siege imposed by Damascus Government on Shahba canton, noting that the checkpoints of the Syrian regime had previously imposed huge sums of money to enter the medicines, but had now prevented their entry."

Arab confirmed that they had purchased a quantity of medicines and were ready to bring them into Shahba areas, but that the Damascus Government was blocking their entry.

At the conclusion of his speech, the administrator of the central Favin pharmacy, Akram Arab, said that the Russian forces present in the military base in Shahba canton, promised to open the way for medicines to enter the canton.

T/S

ANHA