Equipo Nizkor - UNSC S/2016/174 - Position of Syria regarding the last report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of Security Council resolutions 2139 (2014), 2165 (2014), 2191 (2014) and 2258 (2015).

United Nations
Security Council

S/2016/174

Distr.: General
2 March 2016
English
Original: Arabic

Identical letters dated 23 February 2016 from the Permanent Representative of the Syrian Arab Republic to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council

On instructions from my Government, I should like to convey to you the position of the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic regarding the twenty-fourth report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of Security Council resolutions 2139 (2014), 2165 (2014), 2191 (2014) and 2258 (2015) (S/2016/156).

The Government of the Syrian Arab Republic reaffirms the positions that it has previously communicated in its identical letters addressed to the Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council responding to the reports of the Secretary-General on the implementation of Security Council resolutions 2139 (2014), 2165 (2014), 2191 (2014) and 2258 (2015). In its current response, it would also like to stress the following points:

1. The Government of the Syrian Arab Republic rejects the attempts made by the United Nations Secretariat and certain Western States on the Security Council to deny the right of States, under Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, to defend themselves, their people and their territory from terrorism and aggression. It is unacceptable for the Secretariat to take a negative stance regarding the successes achieved in the war against foreign-backed terrorism by the Syrian Arab Army and its allies, which have liberated numerous regions of Syrian territory where armed terrorist groups had been active; broken the siege that the terrorists had imposed on such towns and villages as Nubul and Zahra'; and restored security and stability to other areas. Those successes have opened the way for displaced persons to return to their areas and homes. The Government attaches great importance to the return of those people who were forcibly displaced and is doing everything possible to ensure that they can return and settle down again.

2. The Syrian Government is committed to its constitutional responsibilities and its obligations under the counter-terrorism resolutions of the Security Council. It therefore reaffirms its right to combat terrorism until the liberation of all the areas of activity of the armed terrorist groups, which are supported and funded by foreign parties, particularly Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The Secretariat continues to describe the groups as non-State armed groups, a term that is designed to sidestep the relevant Security Council counter-terrorism resolutions and appease certain Member States of the United Nations. The groups are in fact openly associated with such terrorist groups as Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Nusrah Front and Al-Qaida. As the United Nations itself recognizes, their members include foreign terrorists from over 80 countries (see paragraphs 7, 9, 13 and 40 of the report).

3. The Government of the Syrian Arab Republic reaffirms its firm position that the crisis in Syria requires a political solution based on dialogue among Syrians under Syrian leadership and without preconditions. It further stresses that the political approach goes hand in hand with counter-terrorism efforts, which will continue until all of the armed terrorist groups active in Syria have been eradicated.

4. In drafting the report, the Secretariat has relied on undocumented sources and information. In so doing, it has followed the example of other United Nations entities, such as the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, which takes its information on Syria from such sources, including the so-called Syrian Observatory and Doctors without Borders — both of which are well known for their links to Western intelligence services — and Physicians for Human Rights. The Syrian Government rejects that approach, whose purpose is to demonize and denigrate the Syrian Government in international forums, bring about a foreign intervention on its territory, and vilify any party that supports its war on terrorism. Once again, the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic asks why, as in paragraphs 5 and 14, the report discusses events and allegations that the United Nations is unable to verify. The answer is clear: the report of the Secretariat on humanitarian affairs is profoundly politicized. Once again, we ask the Secretariat to exercise restraint and refrain from adopting biased positions on Syria that serve the agendas of certain Western, regional and Arab States that are hostile to Syria and its people.

5. The Syrian Government finds it deplorable that the Secretariat deliberately ignores the information that it transmitted in identical letters dated 18 January 2016 addressed to the Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council concerning the horrific massacre of defenceless civilians carried out by ISIL in the Baghiliyah suburb in Dayr al -Zawr governorate (S/2016/46). ISIL killed more than 280 civilians, most of whom were elderly people, women and children, and abducted some 400 civilians. The only explanation for that omission is that the Secretariat is biased against the Syrian Government.

6. The Syrian Government reiterates its firm rejection of the claims made in paragraphs 6, 7, 9 and 14 of the report, which show that the Secretariat is heavily biased the against Russian Federation's support for the Government's war on terrorism. Such support was provided at the request of the Syrian Government with a view to fighting armed terrorist groups that are supported by a large number of well-known States in the region and the world. The Syrian Government also strongly rejects the Secretariat's attempts to equate the counter-terrorism efforts of the Syrian Arab Armed Forces and the Russian Air Force with the air bombardment of infrastructure, services, gas and oil facilities being carried out by the so-called United States-led coalition forces, which have bombarded the economic, service and oil and gas infrastructure, killing hundreds of civilians in a bare-faced violation of all of the principles of international law. The Syrian Government stresses that any attempt on the part of the Secretariat to confer legitimacy on the actions of the so-called coalition would constitute a dangerous precedent in international law, and would amount to a frank invitation for others to violate the Charter of the United Nations under various pretexts. The Government of the Syrian Arab Republic condemns the Secretariat's conduct and rejects all of the allegations levelled at the Syrian-Russian counter-terrorism efforts. It reiterates that all operations have been and continue to be directed against the terrorist groups, their members and their supply lines.

7. The Syrian Government notes that the report (S/2016/156) describes the valuable nature of the natural reconciliation processes in the areas of Qadam, Wadi Barada and Wa'r. It reiterates that the purpose of the national reconciliation processes is to save lives and restore security and stability in the areas affected by the armed terrorist groups. Successful reconciliation processes have enabled numerous Syrians to return to the homes and property that they had left behind. The Syrian Government has done its utmost to sustain those reconciliation processes, and to move beyond the violations that some have endured in order to preserve the greater good. It continues to make arrangements for new local reconciliation processes covering all areas with a view to achieving reconciliation at the national level and allowing those Syrians who have borne arms to return to their home country and be reintegrated in society.

8. The Syrian Government rejects the charges levelled against it by the so-called Independent International Commission of Inquiry, which has shown in word and deed that it is not independent and is heavily skewed in favour of the agendas of Western, regional and Arab States whose primary purpose is to divide the land and people of Syria.

9. At home and abroad, in word and in deed, month after month, the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic has shown its commitment to delivering humanitarian assistance to all affected Syrian citizens and those with a similar status across the country. The facts on the ground, as attested in paragraphs 24, 27 and 28 of the report bear witness to its commitment. The Government of the Syrian Arab Republic is surprised that the Secretariat attempts to attribute successes in humanitarian aid delivery to the United Nations alone without giving due credit to the Syrian Government, forgetting that, were it not for the Syrian Government's cooperation with the United Nations and other international organizations active in Syria, the convoys would have been unable to deliver humanitarian and other assistance to beneficiaries affected by terrorism. Even more surprisingly, the authors of the report downplay the delivery of humanitarian assistance to millions of people who have been affected by the crisis. That approach can only be construed as a deliberate endeavour to disparage the Syrian Government and further politicize the humanitarian issue in Syria.

10. The Government of the Syrian Arab Republic reiterates that the difficulties and challenges facing the delivery of humanitarian assistance are, first and foremost, a result of the proliferation of foreign-backed armed terrorist groups across Syria and the security threat that they pose. The actions of the Syrian Government and its allies are aimed at eradicating such armed terrorist groups as ISIL, the Nusrah Front, the Army of Conquest, the so-called Army of Islam and other terrorist groups and organizations associated with Al-Qaida. The efforts of the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic and its national army are aimed at restoring security and stability throughout the country, something that would open the way for humanitarian assistance to be delivered without the obstacles posed by armed terrorist groups. There would be no security concerns, as the safety of humanitarian workers would be guaranteed. It would be possible to ensure that the assistance reached its rightful civilian beneficiaries without falling into the hands of the armed terrorist groups, which have been profiting from aid by selling it on at exorbitant prices to the civilians whom they besiege and keep confined to their homes, neighbourhoods and towns. The Syrian Government also wishes to point out that one of the main shortcomings of the humanitarian and relief assistance efforts is lack of funding for the humanitarian response plan, a problem that persists despite the commitments made by donor States. Syria hopes that the donors will fulfil their commitments in 2016.

11. Paragraph 30 of the report states that the United Nations has submitted 55 requests for joint humanitarian assistance convoys. The Syrian Government is surprised at that assertion. Memorandum No. 29 of the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Syria, dated 10 January 2016, mentions requests regarding 32 locations for implementation in the first quarter of 2016. It also states that 14 requests from 2015 remain pending and due for implementation in 2016. That would bring the total number of requests submitted by the United Nations to 46, rather than 55 as stated in the current report. The Syrian Government wishes to clarify that it has responded to 14 requests for joint convoys, respectively to Dayr al-Zawr; Kafraya and Fu'ah in Idlib governorate; Madaya, Zabadani, Bludan, Tall, Mu'addamiyah and Kafr Batna in Rif Dimashq governorate; Wa'r in Homs governorate; and Sabburah, Harbnafsah, Muhradah, Salamiyah and Suqaylabiyah in Hama governorate. The Syrian Government takes note of the United Nations proposals regarding the areas of Muhradah, Salamiyah and Suqaylabiyah; Darah al-Kabirah in Homs governorate, in the case of the World Food Programme (WFP); and Duma in Rif Dimashq governorate, in the case of the World Health Organization. Approvals were granted for the deployment of joint humanitarian assistance convoys in summer 2015 to such locations as Zamalka and Arbin in Rif Dimashq governorate and Nubul and Zahra' in Aleppo governorate. However, the United Nations did not act on those approvals. The Syrian Government deplores the Secretariat's irresponsible stance regarding the issue, which can only be interpreted as an attempt to target the Syrian Government and place pressure on it for purely political reasons that have to do with the agendas of certain States.

12. There are now 19 registered non-governmental organizations authorized to operate in Syria, as opposed to 16 as stated in the report. The Syrian Government is surprised that the Secretariat has not kept up to date on that issue. Nor have the authors of the report reflected the content of the letter dated 16 December 2015 from the Syrian Government to the Resident Coordinator in Syria concerning strengthening the work of foreign non-governmental organizations. The letter states that there is no objection to an increase in the number of field visits in general, provided that due regard is given to the security situation, and that such activities take place in cooperation with the competent authorities. It states that there is no objection, in principle, to an expansion of the field presence on a case-by-case basis and as necessary with a view to implementing a given project within specific conditions and parameters. It further states that there is no objection, in principle, to a request for a direct partnership with civil society organizations, on a case-by-case basis and within specific conditions and parameters.

13. The Syrian Government rejects the Secretariat's attempts to equivocate regarding the so-called besieged areas, notably by inflating or downplaying the numbers of inhabitants in those areas according to their whims and motives. In its letter dated 25 August 2015 (S/2015/664) responding to a previous report of the Secretary-General, the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic made the same point, noting that the number of people besieged in Dayr al-Zawr was 300,000 rather than 200,000 as claimed by the United Nations, while the number of persons besieged in Fu'ah and Kafraya was 35,000, not 12,500. The Syrian Government also recalls its letter dated 29 July 2014 (S/2014/547) responding to the fifth report of the Secretary-General, in which it stated that the civilians remaining in the Darayya area, of whom there were 4,000, had been able to reach Mu'addamiyah. It follows that the people who are left in Darayya are not civilians.

14. The Syrian Government is surprised that the Secretariat is once again referring to the siege of Yarmouk camp and putting the numbers involved at 6,000 people. This is a fatuous idea, and there is no justification for including it in such reports. Is the Secretariat even aware that terrorist groups belonging to ISIL and the Nusrah Front are present in the camp? Does it want the Syrian Government to leave the road wide open so that they can enter Damascus? The Syrian Government has in fact approved the request submitted by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to facilitate access to Yarmouk Camp, Yalda, Babila and Bayt Saham in Damascus and Rif Dimashq governorates with a view to providing the Palestine refugees and other civilians with food, clean water, health care, winter materials and other humanitarian supplies and services. The Secretariat's failure to address those facts in a transparent manner is deplorable. A total of 123,783 parcels of food aid have been delivered to the inhabitants of the camp since 2014. The Palestine refugees in Yalda, Babila and Bayt Saham are inhabitants of Yarmouk camp who were displaced from the camp after the terrorist organization ISIL overran it in April 2015 in collusion with the terrorist Nusrah Front and other terrorist groups present inside the camp. Over the last few months, those groups have seized large quantities of assistance intended for Palestine refugees in the areas in question.

15. The Government of the Syrian Arab Republic condemns the Secretariat's persistence in downplaying what is being done to deploy humanitarian assistance convoys to hotspots, a process that the Syrian Government has facilitated in recent weeks. The Syrian Government has agreed to requests submitted by the United Nations, whether jointly or individually, and by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to deliver humanitarian assistance, including medical supplies, in cooperation with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, to the following places, Dayr al-Zawr; Yarmouk camp in Damascus governorate; Yalda, Babila, Bayt Saham, Zabadani, Madaya, Bludan, Mu'addamiyah, Kafr Batna, Duma, Tall, eastern Hurnah and Wadi Barada in Rif Dimashq; Fu'ah and Kafraya in Idlib governorate; Harbnafsah and Sabburah in Hama governorate; Wa'r and Darah al-Kabirah in Homs governorate; and Raqqah, Shaddadi, Arishah and Markada in Hasakah governorate. Some of the approvals have not yet been acted upon, and some are still under way; the United Nations has been late in acting on certain approvals.

16. The Government of the Syrian Arab Republic reiterates its position that cross-border assistance is futile, and condemns once more the lack of transparency with which the authors have chosen to cover that topic. The notifications being sent to the Syrian Government are riddled with inaccurate figures, information, numbers of beneficiaries and particulars on which parties collect aid to distribute it to civilian recipients. As a result, the Syrian Government has no way of knowing whether, how, and by whom humanitarian assistance is being distributed. What is certain is that cross-border assistance is finding its way into the hands of the armed terrorists, or they are appropriating it, distributing some of it to their members and selling the rest to civilians at inordinate prices on the black market. The members of the Security Council must be aware that the Turkish regime and its intelligence apparatus are using cross-border humanitarian assistance convoys to smuggle in weapons for the armed terrorist groups that serve as its proxies.

17. The Syrian Government recalls the position expressed in its letter dated 29 July 2014 responding to the fifth report of the Secretary-General on implementation of Security Council resolution 2139 (2014) (S/2014/547), namely that there is a need to cooperate with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, the primary partner for United Nations relief activities in Syrian territory, in the distribution of assistance brought in across the border. That approach would ensure that the aid reaches civilians affected by the crisis in Syria and does not fall into the hands of armed terrorist groups. On 12 January 2016, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Stephen O'Brien, requested permission for the Syrian Arab Red Crescent to cooperate with the United Nations in delivering cross-border assistance provided by the United Nations. The Syrian Government approved that request and agreed that the Syrian Arab Red Crescent should receive and distribute the cross-border assistance.

18. Lastly, the Syrian Government deplores the Secretariat's persistent failure to condemn terrorism as the cause of the Syrian crisis, its humanitarian repercussions and the deterioration of the humanitarian situation. Indeed, the Secretariat has blamed that deterioration on the actions that the Syrian Government and its allies have taken in order to eradicate the armed terrorist groups, which are supported by Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The Syrian Government repeats that if the Secretariat persists in that approach, it will only prolong the humanitarian crisis in Syria.

19. The Government of the Syrian Arab Republic once again calls on the Security Council to prevail on those States that support and finance armed terrorist groups to refrain from doing so, in implementation of the relevant Security Council resolutions on combating terrorism and terrorist financing, particularly resolutions 2170 (2014), 2178 (2014), 2199 (2015) and 2253 (2015).

20. I should be grateful if you would have the present letter and its annexes issued as a document of the Security Council.

(Signed) Bashar Ja'afari
Ambassador
Permanent Representative

Annex I to the identical letters dated 23 February 2016 from the Permanent Representative of the Syrian Arab Republic to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council

Crimes committed by ISIL, the Nusrah Front, the Free Army, the Army of Islam, the Army of Conquest and other armed terrorist groups ignored by the authors of the report

In the period 21 December 2015 to 21 January 2016, terrorists killed 164 civilians, including 49 children, and injured 312 civilians, including 66 children, across the governorates of Syria, not including Raqqah, Idlib and Dayr al -Zawr.

On 5 January, armed terrorist groups belonging to the Nusrah Front fired mortar shells at Izra' city in Dar'a governorate, killing one girl. Another girl sustained shrapnel wounds and material damage was caused.

On 6 and 7 January, armed terrorist groups fired mortar shells at Baghdad Street and Thawrah Street in Damascus, killing 9 civilians and injuring 38 others. Material damage was caused.

On 6 and 7 January, armed terrorist groups belonging to the so -called Nusrah Front, the Nur al-Din al-Zanki battalion, the Islamic Front, Liwa' al-Tawhid, the Badr Martyrs Brigade, the Emigrants Brigade and Northern Shield located in the Bani Zayd neighbourhood of Aleppo city fired gas cylinder missiles at the Suryan al-Jadidah neighbourhood. One woman was killed, six civilians were injured and material damage was caused.

On 11 and 12 January, armed terrorist groups belonging to the so-called Nusrah Front, the Nur al-Din al-Zanki battalion, the Islamic Front, Liwa' al-Tawhid, the Badr Martyrs Brigade, the Emigrants Brigade and Northern Shield located in the Bani Zayd neighbourhood of Aleppo city fired gas cylinder missiles at the Ashrafiyah al-Jadidah neighbourhood. Three children were killed, two civilians were injured and material damage was caused.

On 12 and 13 January, armed terrorist groups belonging to the so-called ISIL organization fired rocket-propelled grenades at the towns of Nubul and Zahra', killing one civilian and causing material damage.

On 12 and 13 January, a landmine exploded in the village of Dawudiyah in Hasakah, killing two children and injuring 10 civilians.

On 12 and 13 January, armed terrorist groups belonging to the Nusrah Front fired mortar shells at the Manshiyah neighbourhood in Dar'a al-Balad, killing one civilian and injuring another.

On 13 and 14 January, armed terrorist groups belonging to the so-called Nusrah Front, the Nur al-Din al-Zanki battalion, the Islamic Front, Liwa' al-Tawhid, the Badr Martyrs Brigade, the Emigrants Brigade and Northern Shield located in the Bani Zayd neighbourhood of Aleppo city fired gas cylinder missiles at the Ashrafiyah neighbourhood. One child was killed, two others were injured and material damage was caused.

On 16 and 17 January, armed terrorist groups belonging to the so-called Nusrah Front, the Nur al-Din al-Zanki battalion, the Islamic Front, Liwa' al-Tawhid, the Badr Martyrs Brigade, the Emigrants Brigade and Northern Shield located in the Bustan al-Qasr and Old City neighbourhoods of Aleppo fired gas canisters at the Bustan al-Zahrah and Aziziyah neighbourhoods. Three civilians were killed, 21 civilians were injured and material damage was caused.

On 17 and 18 January, armed terrorist groups belonging to ISIL located in the village of Subayhiyah in Aleppo city fired rocket-propelled grenades at Safirah town, killing two civilians and injuring another. Material damage was caused.

On 17 and 18 January, armed terrorist groups belonging to ISIL located in Dayr al-Zawr fired at the village of Baghiliyah, killing one civilian.

On 19 and 20 January, the groups fired mortar shells at Masakin al-Ruwwad, killing one civilian and injuring one child.

On 18 and 19 January, armed terrorist groups belonging to the so-called Nusrah Front, the Nur al-Din al-Zanki battalion, the Islamic Front, Liwa' al-Tawhid, the Badr Martyrs Brigade, the Emigrants Brigade and Northern Shield located in the Amiriyah neighbourhood of Aleppo city fired gas cylinder missiles at the Salah al-Din neighbourhood. Three civilians were killed, 14 others were injured and material damage was caused.

On 27 and 28 January, the groups fired mortar shells and gas cylinder missiles at the Aziziyah, Jamiliyah, Talal and Binyamin neighbourhoods, killing or injuring eight civilians.

On 19 and 20 January, armed terrorist groups belonging to ISIL located in the Tall Fa'uri neighbourhood fired rocket-propelled grenades at Safirah town, killing four civilians, injuring five others and causing material damage.

On 23 and 24 January, armed terrorist groups belonging to the so-called Army of Islam, the Nusrah Front and the Rahman Corps located in Duma gardens in Rif Dimashq fired mortar shells at the Assad suburb in Harasta and the Wafidin camp. Three civilians were killed, nine civilians were injured and material damage was caused.

On 23 and 24 January, armed terrorist groups belonging to ISIL located in Dayr al-Zawr fired mortar shells at the city. The shells landed near the city hall building. Two women sustained shrapnel wounds. Those groups also fired mortar shells at the Qusur neighbourhood, inflicting shrapnel wounds on one civilian and one child.

On 24 and 25 January, in downtown Qamishli in Hasakah governorate, an explosive device planted on a bicycle parked on Miami Street was detonated, killing three civilians and injuring 14 others.

On 25 and 26 January, armed terrorist groups belonging to ISIL fired mortar shells at the Qusur neighbourhood in Hasakah city, killing four civilians and injuring six others. Material damage was caused. Those groups also fired two mortar shells at Thawrah neighbourhood, killing one woman and injuring six civilians.

On 27 and 28 January, armed terrorist groups belonging to ISIL fired a mortar shell at the Tahtuh neighbourhood, killing one civilian.

On 26 January, the terrorist organization ISIL perpetrated two suicide bombings in the Zahra' neighbourhood of Homs city, killing 24 civilians and injuring 100 others. Significant material damage was caused.

On 27 and 28 January, armed terrorist groups belonging to the Nusrah Front, the Nur al-Din al-Zanki battalion, the Islamic Front, Liwa' al-Tawhid, the Badr Martyrs Brigade, the Emigrants Brigade and Northern Shield located in Aleppo city fired mortar shells and gas cylinder missiles at the Aziziyah, Jamiliyah, Talal and Binyamin neighbourhoods, killing or injuring eight civilians.

On 28 and 29 January, armed terrorist groups located in Salah al-Din and Bustan al-Qasr neighbourhoods fired mortar shells and gas cylinder missiles at the Idha'ah and Jamiliyah neighbourhoods, injuring seven civilians. An exploding gas cylinder landed on the deaf-mute institute building, which is used as a prison. One woman died and civilians, including a child, were injured.

On 21 February, the terrorist organization ISIL detonated a Toyota vehicle using a large quantity of explosive materials. The vehicle was detonated in a densely populated popular market in Sayyidah Zaynab city in Rif Dimashq governorate. Two other blasts followed; the first involved a gas bottle, and the second was set off by a suicide bomber who detonated an explosive belt in the midst of civilians who had gathered to come to the aid of those injured in the first blast. The three terrorist blasts killed over 85 civilians and injured hundreds more, most of them children, women and elderly people. Serious material damage was caused to property and infrastructure.

On 21 February, the terrorist organization ISIL detonated two car bombs in quick succession in the Zahra' neighbourhood of Homs city. More than 47 people were killed and over 110 others were injured, most of them in critical condition. Significant material damage was caused to property and infrastructure.

Annex II to the identical letters dated 23 February 2016 from the Permanent Representative of the Syrian Arab Republic to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council

Examples of humanitarian assistance that was delivered during January 2016 thanks to the facilitation provided by the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic to the United Nations and other international organizations, in cooperation with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent. Also listed is assistance delivered by the Syrian Arab Red Crescent

The Syrian Arab Red Crescent delivered humanitarian aid (food and non-food aid and medical assistance), provided from inside Syrian territory by United Nations organizations, to various governorates, including Rif Dimashq, Idlib, Aleppo, Qunaytirah, Hasakah, Homs, Hama and Dar'a, but not to Raqqah or Dayr al-Zawr governorates. Some 1,672,655 Syrian beneficiaries (334,531 families) received food parcels provided by WFP through the Syrian Arab Red Crescent. Some 588,795 beneficiaries (117,759 families) received food parcels provided by the United Nations through non-governmental organizations. The total number of the beneficiaries of United Nations assistance distributed from inside Syrian territory thus stands at 2,261,450 (452,290 families). The above -mentioned assistance was distributed to the governorates as follows: 59,250 parcels in Rif Dimashq; 16,952 parcels in Dar'a and its countryside; 4,000 parcels in Idlib; 52,000 parcels in Aleppo and its countryside; 19,909 parcels in Hasakah; 26,778 parcels in Hama and its countryside; and 65,776 parcels in Homs and its countryside.

The Syrian Arab Red Crescent delivered humanitarian aid provided by the International Committee of the Red Cross from inside Syrian territory to most governorates, including Rif Dimashq, Idlib, Qunaytirah, Aleppo, Hama, Homs. A total of 78,280 food parcels were delivered, in addition to 41,425 canned food parcels and food aid for community kitchens. A total of 3,302 food parcels provided by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies were distributed in Homs, Damascus and Aleppo governorates.

The Syrian Arab Red Crescent delivered humanitarian aid (food and non-food aid, medical assistance and water purifiers) provided by United Nations organizations and foreign non-governmental organizations operating in Syria to hundreds of thousands of beneficiaries in Aleppo, Hasakah, Rif Dimashq, Dar'a, Qunaytirah, Damascus, Homs, Hama, Suwayda', Tartus and Ladhiqiyah governorates.

The Syrian Government renewed its approval for WFP to bring humanitarian assistance through the Nusaybin crossing on the Syrian-Turkish border, in order to allow 55,000 food rations and 12 tons of peanut butter to be brought into Hasakah governorate and distributed to beneficiaries in January 2016.

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02Mar16

Position of Syria regarding the last report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of Security Council resolutions 2139 (2014), 2165 (2014), 2191 (2014) and 2258 (2015)