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US envoy praises White Helmets in Syria

June 2, 2022 at 10:20 am

US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield in Ankara, Turkey on 4 June 2021 [Erçin Ertürk/Anadolu Agency]

The US Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, has praised the humanitarian contributions made by the Syrian Civil Defence, known as the White Helmets. She also praised the group for documenting war crimes committed by the regime of President Bashar Al-Assad.

According to US spokesperson Olivia Dalton, Thomas-Greenfield met with the head of the White Helmets, Raed Al-Saleh, on Wednesday along with other leaders of the organisation. They discussed “the US commitment to implement all aspects of Resolution 2585 and determination to continue the UN-facilitated cross-border mechanism to address the dire humanitarian situation in Syria.”

They also discussed the US announcement of more than $800 million in new humanitarian assistance for the Syrian people at the Brussels VI Conference in May.

The White Helmets were thanked for their contributions to humanity, “including their emergency response efforts, work to document potential war crimes in Syria, and strong network of centres dedicated to serving the needs of women and children.” The United States, said the ambassador, is proud to support their lifesaving work.

On 10 January, the UN extended the cross-border mandate contained in Security Council Resolution 2585 for six months. It expires in July.

The White Helmets rose to international prominence due to their contributions towards rescuing civilians in rebel-held areas bombed by the Syrian regime and Russian warplanes with barrel bombs.

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