EU welcomes Syrian humanitarian decision

January 11, 2016
Share on

“The decision of the Syrian regime to allow humanitarian access in Madaya is a first step in the right direction”, EC Vice-President and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, and European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides said in a joint statement. However, they stressed that “the humanitarian situation in the country remains dramatic”.

According to the international media, the city of Madaya, which has been besieged for nearly eight months, is on the brink of starvation. On Thursday, Damascus announced that it would allow humanitarian access to the city, according to media reports.

In their joint statement, the EC officials said that “the decision of the Syrian regime to allow humanitarian access in Madaya is a first step in the right direction; the European Union welcomes it and expects it will be fully implemented and extended by all parties to all the cities under siege”.
 
They underlined, however, that the “humanitarian access must be granted unconditionally so that aid organisations can deliver vital assistance such as food and medicines to people in need, as requested by the UN Security Council”. The Council of EU will discuss on Monday 18 January about Syria and the current developments in the region.
 
Link:

Countries covered:

  • Syria *
Thematics
Human Rights