“To understand better and further respond to the most pressing needs, the ICRC deployed a multidisciplinary team on the ground. In close cooperation with the SARC, whose staff and volunteers have been doing an outstanding work since the onset of the crisis, under extremely difficult circumstances, our teams spoke with families, community leaders, and health workers to identify what they need most” said Stephan Sakalian the Head of ICRC delegation in Syria.
ICRC teams have been able to visit the SARC Sweida branch, as well as the Sweida National Hospital and Shahba hospital. These two health facilities, both assisted by the ICRC, received a large influx of people injured or killed following the recent escalation of violence.
Needs assessments were also conducted in five collective shelters hosting 1250 vulnerable people who fled violence.
The SARC convoy delivered much needed wheat flour for bakeries, as well as hygiene kits and medical supplies for the hospitals in Sweida. Food and relief items such as mattresses and blankets were also part of this essential aid.
This visit follows earlier SARC-led aid deliveries, supported by the ICRC and other partners, on 20 and 23 July. These joint efforts are very important and should continue, as the scope and urgency of humanitarian needs remain very high, driven by the compounded effects of disrupted essential services, lack of access to markets and very limited movements.
Since the escalation of violence two weeks ago, the ICRC has consistently urged all actors on the ground to protect civilians, preserve human dignity, and guarantee safe, sustained, and unhindered access for humanitarian aid. “For thousands of families caught in the midst of violence, this presence offers not just assistance, but a crucial source of relief and hope amidst the relentless suffering they have faced in recent weeks”, Sakalian added
The ICRC will continue its efforts for further access to Sweida as well as its support to the ongoing emergency response of the SARC to those most in need, in Sweida, Dara’a and other affected areas of southern Syria.
About the ICRC
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is a neutral, impartial and independent organization with an exclusively humanitarian mandate that stems from the Geneva Conventions of 1949. It helps people around the world affected by armed conflict and other violence, doing everything it can to protect their lives and dignity and to relieve their suffering, often alongside its Red Cross and Red Crescent partners.
For more information, please contact:
Suhair Zakkout, ICRC Damascus, tel: +963 930 336 718, email szakkout@icrc.org
Hachem Osseiran, ICRC Dubai, +971 504 254 091, hosseiran@icrc.org
