Category: General

Geneva, The work of the 154th session of the WHO Executive Board held in Geneva, Switzerland, with Syrian participation, will continue until Jan 27th.

‘The region has suffered from multiple emergencies over the past period and last year was the worst ever as a result of earthquakes. The horrific disaster that struck Afghanistan, Morocco, and Syria claimed thousands of lives. Floods also swept through Libya, and drought struck Somalia, causing tens of thousands of deaths among children, which could have been avoided’, mentioned a statement read by Syria on behalf of the member states of the Eastern Mediterranean Region regarding the organization’s work in the field of health emergencies, read by the Minister of Health, Hasan al-Ghabbash.

Al-Ghabbash added that WHO documented 73 disease outbreaks during the past year, which is double the number that was documented during the year 2021, in an ongoing continuation of disease outbreaks and epidemics of measles, cholera, and dengue fever, adding ‘this matter is
nothing but a reflection of the deterioration of health systems due to conflicts and the fragility of countries not to mention the climate change.

The most worryingly crises at the present time are what the occupied Palestinian territories are witnessing, and what Sudan is experiencing, as relief workers in Gaza are witnessing the harshest and most severe conditions with the escalation of violence, while aid agencies are struggling to provide assistance, thus more than 23,000 Gazans have lost their lives while some 50,000 people were injured. Besides events in Sudan led to the displacement of a large number of people’, al-Ghabbash went on to say.

‘The world lost its moral compass when it failed to impose a permanent ceasefire in these two wars ‘, Al-Ghabbash added, noting that the world should feel ashamed of the heroic courage and great sacrifices shown by health workers on the front lines in Gaza, Sudan, and other places.

The Health Minister hailed the effectiveness of the response of the WHO and member
states, noting that this response is not sufficient without political solutions, peace processes along with measures on climate action, health security and commitment to common humanity.

Source: Syrian Arab News Agency

Astana, Head of the Syrian delegation to the 21st International Meeting on Syria under Astana format, Deputy Foreign and Expatriates Minister, Bassam Sabbagh has stressed the necessity of eliminating all terrorist organizations, ending illegal foreign military presence on Syrian territory, and committing to respecting Syria’s sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity.

During a press conference at the conclusion of the meeting, Sabbagh said that the return of Syrian refugees to their homeland is a priority for Syria, and work is being done with the United Nations to provide the necessary facilitations for this return.

He underlined the necessity of immediately and unconditionally lifting the unilateral coercive measures imposed by the US and the European Union on the Syrian people.

Sabbagh noted that the repeated Israeli attacks on Syrian territory aim to provide support and assistance to terrorist organizations to maintain the state of instability in Syria.

Source: Syrian Arab News Agency

Astana, The guarantor states of the Astana Process have renewed their firm commitment to Syria’s sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity and to the goals and principles of the UN Charter.

In the final statement of the 21st International Meeting on Syria under Astana format, the guarantor states affirmed their determination to pursue joint action to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and to stand up to separatist agendas aimed at undermining Syria’s sovereignty, integrity, and territorial integrity and threatening the regional security of neighboring countries.

The guarantor states stressed the importance of pushing forward the Astana process to combat terrorism and create appropriate conditions for the return of refugees, in addition to the necessity of bringing humanitarian aid into Syria.

The guarantor states also reaffirmed their opposition to the illegal plundering and transfer of oil revenues that should return to Syria.

The statement condemned all unilateral san
ctions that violate international law, humanitarian law and UN Charter.

Source: Syrian Arab News Agency

Occupied Jerusalem, The Israeli enemy has targeted a number of villages, towns and regions in southern Lebanon.

The Israeli occupation artillery targeted the forests of Labouneh and al-Habbariyeh, and it also targeted the outskirts of al-Dhahira and Alma al-Shaab towns with phosphorus shells.

The Zionist enemy also bombed with artillery the outskirts of the towns of Tair Harfa, Yarin, and the Batishiya area, while the enemy reconnaissance aircraft continued to hover over villages of western and central areas.

Source: Syrian Arab News Agency

Occupied Jerusalem, Israeli occupation troops arrested on Thursday 22 Palestinians as they stormed several areas in the West Bank.

Wafa News agency reported that a large number of occupation forces broke into Jenin City and its camp amid heavy gunfire and poison gas bombs and launched a campaign of extensive raids on homes and turned a number of them into military positions.

They also arrested 13 Palestinians, while the occupation forces bulldozed a number of streets and destroyed several cars.

The occupation troops also arrested 8 Palestinians during their raids on several neighborhoods in Ramallah, Hebron, and Nablus and one Palestinian at one of their checkpoints in Aghwar Shamaliyah area.

Source: Syrian Arab News Agency

New York, Preventing the Security Council from putting an end to the crimes of the Israeli occupation by the US and European states reveals their hypocrisy and the falsity of their claims about ensuring the protection of human rights, Acting Chargé d’affaires of Syria’s Permanent Delegation to the United Nations, Dr. Al-Hakam Dandi has said.

Dandi’s remarks came during the Security Council Ministerial Meeting on the Situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian Cause.

The Syrian diplomat noted that that the ongoing aggression against the Palestinian people and the repeated attacks on Syrian territories reflect an inherent tendency of the occupying entity to commit crime and destruction.

He added that the dangerous developments taking place in the Middle East region, with the continuation of the brutal aggression against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip for 110 days, and the repeated occupation attacks on Syrian territory, are a link in the chain of Israeli crimes that have continued for
more than 75 years.

Dandi said that the occupation continues its unjust siege of the Gaza Strip, prevents the entry of humanitarian aid, and uses internationally prohibited weapons in its aggression against it, including phosphorus incendiary bombs, in disregarding all international laws and humanitarian principles.

‘It is shameful that the United States and some European countries are trying to legitimize the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip under the title of ‘self-defense,’ and to turn the criminal into a victim,’ Dandi added.

He went on saying ‘We ask those who have been boasting of preserving human rights, protecting civilians and providing aid to them, and ensuring accountability? Where is their enthusiasm today for those principles? What are they doing to protect the Palestinian people from the Israeli killing machine?’

Dandi renewed Syria’s call on the Security Council to take effective and immediate steps to end the suffering of the Palestinian people by stopping the ongoing occupation attack
s, providing urgent humanitarian support, preventing forced displacement, and ensuring the accountability of the occupation and its supporters for these crimes.

He noted that, in furtherance of its hostile policies, the occupation is launching repeated attacks on Syrian territory targeting residential neighborhoods and vital facilities, including civilian ports and airports, endangering the lives of civilians and the safety of civil aviation, and hampering United Nations humanitarian operations.

‘Syria warns once again (Israel) and its sponsors against continuing these aggressive policies that threaten to ignite the region and push it towards a comprehensive escalation that threatens regional and international peace and security, and calls on the Security Council to assume its responsibilities in putting an end to the aggressive approach, and to work urgently to end the Israeli occupation of Arab lands, and implementing relevant UN resolutions,’ said Dandi.

He added that the European Union delegation used
to exploit the Security Council to raise issues related to the situation in Syria that were not related to the topic of the session, in an open effort to divert attention from the crimes committed by the Israeli occupation in the region, and from the wrong policies of the European Union that contribute to prolonging the crisis in Syria, and exacerbating the suffering of the Syrian people.

Source: Syrian Arab News Agency

Geneva, The 154th session of the Executive Board of the World Health Organization (WHO), held in Geneva, Switzerland, resumed its activities on Wednesday with the participation of Syria and these activities will last till Jan. 27.

Delivering Syria’s statement on comprehensive health coverage, Minister of Health, Dr. Hassan Mohammad al-Ghobash, underlined the necessity of working within the mandate of the World Health Organization to lift the unjust measures that negatively affect the health of the Syrian citizens, and to support Syria within the organization’s comprehensive health coverage plan to reach this goal.

Minister al-Ghobash stated during his speech that Syria has become unable to repair medical devices that are out of service due to unjust sanctions.

He added that cancer patients suffer from a lack of life-saving medicines, laboratory medical equipment, tools for surgical operations, medical equipment for x-rays, and others.

Minister al-Ghobash indicated that Syria was on its way to finalizing
its eleventh plan for health and comprehensive health coverage for all Syrian citizens. However, the terrorist war that it suffered for more than 12 years changed the method and rhythm of work in the Ministry of Health to rapid responses to meet urgent humanitarian needs.

Minister al-Ghobash added that despite the Coronavirus pandemic, which increased pressure on the health system, and then the devastating earthquake disaster that struck several provinces, the health sector continues to work diligently to provide health services to citizens.

Source: Syrian Arab News Agency

Occupied Jerusalem, Dozens of Palestinians were martyred on Wednesday in the ongoing Israel aircraft bombing on the war-ravaged Gaza Strip.

‘The occupation artillery shelled UNRWA Vocational School in Khan Yunis city, southern Gaza Strip, which housed more than 10,000 displaced, causing the burning of their tents, killing 40 Palestinians, and wounding dozens, mostly children and women,’Palestinian media reported.

The occupation aircraft also shelled a residential building in Nuseirat camp in the center of the Strip, killing four children and wounding others.

Over the past 24 hours, the Israeli occupation committed 24 massacres in Gaza, claiming the lives of 210 Palestinians and wounding 3,386 others, which brings the number of victims of the ongoing occupation aggression in the Strip to 25,700 martyrs and 63,740 wounded.

Source: Syrian Arab News Agency

Following are the latest developments of Operation ‘al-Aqsa Flood’ launched by the Palestinian resistance on October 7, in response to the attacks launched by the Israeli occupation on the war-ravaged Gaza Strip:

-Palestinian resistance: Our fighters engage in fierce clashes with Zionist enemy forces south of south of the Zeitoun neighborhood in Gaza City

-Palestinian resistance targets the Israeli enemy at the ‘Isnad Sufa’ military site on the outskirts of Gaza with a 114 mm short-range ‘Rajum’ missile system.

-Palestinian media: 8 martyrs and a number of wounded as a result of the Israeli occupation bombing of a house in Abasan Al-Kabira area, east of Khan Yunis, south of Gaza

– Palestinian resistance targets two Israeli enemy tanks with ‘Yasin 105’ missiles in the vicinity of the ‘Saad Sayel’ barracks east of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

-A Zionist force was ambushed by the Palestinian resistance fighters, as they explode a minefield inside the ‘Saad Sayel’ barracks site, east of Rafah, and memb
ers of the force are killed and injured

-Palestinian resistance carries out a complex and simultaneous military action east of Rafah, targeting a building where a number of Israeli occupation soldiers were holed up

Source: Syrian Arab News Agency

Astana, The 21st International Meeting on Syria under Astana format started activities on Wednesday morning in the Kazakh capital.

The delegation of the Syrian Arab Republic, headed by the Deputy Foreign and Expatriates Minister, Bassam Sabbagh, and the delegations of the guarantor states of the Astana process (Russia, Iran, and Turkey) will take part in the meeting.

The Russian delegation is headed by President Putin’s Special Envoy to Syria, Alexander Lavrentiev, and the Iranian delegation is headed by Senior Assistant to Iranian Foreign Minister for Special Political Affairs, Ali Asghar Khaji, in addition to a United Nations delegation headed by the United Nations Deputy Envoy to Syria, Najat Rushdi.

The meeting will last for two days, and in addition to the delegations of the guarantor states, representatives of neighboring countries (Lebanon, Iraq and Jordan) will participate as observers, and representatives of the United Nations (UN), the High Commissioner for Refugee (UNHCR) and the International Committee of the Red Cross will participate in it.

The Kazakh Foreign Ministry stated earlier that the agenda of the meeting will discuss issues related to the development of the regional situation surrounding Syria, efforts to resolve the crisis, the humanitarian situation in the country, and mobilizing the efforts of the international community to contribute to reconstruction.

Russian political analysts noted that the international meeting this time will witness discussions on the latest developments in the situation in the region in light of the continued Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, the Israeli attacks on Syrian and Lebanese lands, as well as the continued US occupation of parts of Syrian territories and the plundering of the Syrian people’s wealth and natural resources.

The first day of the international meeting will witness bilateral and tripartite meetings between the participating delegations, while on the second day a plenary session will be held in which the final statement of the meeting will be read, and press conferences will be held for the heads of some of the participating delegations.

The 20th meeting under the Astana format was held in the Kazakh capital on June 20 and 21, 2023, and its final statement included, in its first item, an emphasis on respect for Syria’s sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity.

Source: Syrian Arab News Agency