Opposition coalition demands US relief for besieged Syrians

Syria’s National Coalition for Revolutionary and Opposition Forces has made an official demand for the US to make air drops of desperately-needed relief for the besieged residents of Madaya, Zabadani, Moadamieh, Deir al-Zour and other locations. The coalition condemned the sieges which have starved people to death, including children.

In a statement released on Sunday, the opposition group stressed the need for the international community to take a decisive position towards Hezbollah and regime forces for their crimes against the Syrian people.

In a meeting held on Saturday between the coalition’s political wing and the US Special Envoy to Syria, Michael Ratni, the negotiating process in Geneva, due to be held on 25 January, was under discussion. The opposition representatives emphasised that the Assad regime must apply with immediate effect the procedures stipulated by UN resolution 2254, especially articles 12 and 13 regarding an end to indiscriminate attacks against civilians, lifting the blockade on the besieged cities, delivering humanitarian aid, releasing detainees and declaring the fate of those who are listed as missing.

However, Syrian, Arab and international sources anticipate that the resumption of negotiations between the opposition and the regime is likely to be postponed as a result of the continued deterioration of Saudi-Iran relations.

On 18 December, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution on Syria unanimously at a foreign ministers’ meeting, with the participation of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and his special envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura.