Humanitarian situation in Syria "worse than ever," warns Red Cross
Published : 04 Mar 2021, 23:06
The Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement on Thursday warned that the humanitarian situation in Syria is now worse than in any year of the decade-long conflict in the country, reported Xinhua.
In a media statement, the movement said that the effects of still ongoing conflicts, a deteriorating economic situation, a refugee crisis and the global pandemic have pushed Syrian people to unacceptable extremes.
The movement is a global humanitarian network consisting of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the 191 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
According to the statement, rising commodities costs have further contributed to food insecurity, with 60 percent of Syrians having no regular access to safe food and 90 percent now living under the poverty line.
"The outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020 has added further challenges to the existing humanitarian situation," explained Francesco Rocca, President of IFRC.
"For most Syrians, worrying about the virus is a luxury they cannot afford. They cannot afford to protect themselves," he said.
"Even if they do get contaminated by the virus, the health system has been battered so severely that access to treatment and care is limited," he highlighted.
The movement also noted that some 5.3 million Syrians have fled to neighboring countries. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said on its website that in Syria, 6.2 million people are internally displaced, the highest number in the world.
Furthermore, 73 Red Crescent volunteers have died during their work, 65 from the Syrian Arab Red Crescent and eight from the Palestine branch, the statement noted.
"The people of Syria cannot afford to endure another year like this, let alone another ten," said Peter Maurer, President of the ICRC, who is expected to travel to Syria soon.
"We need a political solution to end the conflict, ongoing financial support for the recovery -- and a future for those who have lost so much," Maurer added.