H.E. Ambassador Walter Stevens
Permanent Observer of the European Union
to the United Nations office in Geneva.

For more than ten years, the Syrian people have been suffering from the harsh humanitarian and living consequences of the unjust war that the Syrian Arab Republic is facing at the hands of terrorist groups, separatist militias, and regional and international parties that provide political, diplomatic, military and financial support to those armed groups to tamper with the peace and internal stability of the Syrian Arab Republic. This terrorist war and the accompanying US and Turkish attacks on Syrian sovereignty and its occupation of parts of Syrian territory have caused unprecedented human suffering and hardship for the Syrian people and deprived them of their baste needs as a result of the sabotage suffered by their service sectors and the looting and smuggling across the borders with Turkey and North Iraq of their natural and economic resources. The unilateral coercive measures imposed by the United States and the European Union that target vital economic and service sectors constitute one of the main factors that contribute t damaging all aspects of life for the Syrian people and impede the provision of their basic needs including, inter alia, cil, energy, transportation, medical equipment, and specific types of life-saving medicines in addition to food, baby formula.

The spread of the Corona pandemic in the world, and the difficulties and challenge that carne with i4 that many countries of the world faced, demonstrated the need for solidarity and cooperation in facing this pandemic and containing its health, economic and social consequences. In countries affected by wars, conflicts and natural disasters, international solidarity is considered a key pillar in enabling those countries to effectively deal with challenges and emergencies, as indicated by the Secretary-General of the United Nations in his appeal in March of last year to lift or suspend unilateral coercive measures to enable affected Countries to fight the pandemic. The current situation in Syria shows that the continuation of the coercive measures imposed by the United States and the European Union on the Syrian Arab Republic, and their the restrictions, harm the ability of the Syrian state to effectively contain this pandemic and access the Corona virus vaccine and necessary means to prevent the pandemic and provide proper health care and treatment lo its victims, and exacerbate the living and economic difficulties and violates all human rights of Syrians, including their right to life.

In light of this reality, we, the undersigned, address you with this humanitarian call to immediately lift the unilateral coercive measures targeting the economic and service sectors in the Syrian Arab Republic and the exacerbating the human suffering by the Syrian people, especially in light of the continuation of the Corona pandemic and its direct and indirect consequences on their lives. We are confident that in taking specific measures in this direction you will contribute positively to overcoming the living difficulties faced by the Syrian people and providing for their basic needs, in a way that goes beyond the results of your conferences and your humanitarian aid that has a temporary and limited effect.

cc:
– H.E Ms. Mlchel Bachiet
UN Hlgh Commlssioner for Human Rights.

– H.E. Archbishop tvan Jorkovic:
Apostolic Nuncio
Permanent Observer of the Holy See
to the United Nations office In Geneva.