Statement by the Syrian Civic Platform, Daraa Local Platform
Civilians in Daraa: A New Tragedy
Since 12th February 2017, the city of Daraa has been subjected to a massive military campaign aimed at controlling the Old Customs area and the Ramtha border crossing between Syria and Jordan.
The city witnessed a massive military buildup of the Syrian regime’s forces and its allied militias. This was followed by a large and continuous escalation by warplanes, helicopters, artillery and Elephant Rockets on the neighborhoods of Daraa al-Balad, Tariq Al-Sadd, Daraa Camp and the village of al-Naimah.
These attacks have led to:
- Dozens of victims killed, with exact numbers not yet identified.
- The movement of most of the population to relatively safe neighboring towns or to the plains and neighboring farms. The number of displaced families is estimated at 800, all of whom are headed to the eastern countryside of Daraa.
- The destruction of the two field hospitals in Daraa al-Balad and the only hospital in the village of al- Naimah, as well as Tel-Shihab hospital.
- Severe shortages of medicines and essential medical supplies suffered by the area under bombardment.
- Almost a complete destruction of the infrastructure as a result of the shelling, resulting an increase in the suffering of civilians.
Moreover, aircrafts have attacked the areas to which people have moved in order to escape battles. A massacre took place in the town of Tafs, in which nine civilians were killed and a further 20 were injured, because of the shelling that targeted their homes. Helicopters also shelled al-Shayah camp on the Syrian-Jordanian borders with 12 explosive barrels, resulted the death of 10 civilians, most of them are women and children, and wounded 30 others.
The Syrian Civic Platform considers this event to be extremely concerning, especially after the announcement recently in Astana of the province of Daraa as one of four “de-escalation zones”.
-We appeal to the United Nations and the governments concerned to urgently put pressure the Syrian regime and its allies to stop their ferocious attack on Daraa.
-We call on relief organizations to provide emergency assistance to the displaced and to provide medical support for the remaining medical points.
-We also urge the Jordanian government to open its border crossings to receive the wounded and all other humanitarian cases.
Syrian Civic Platform – Daraa Local Platform
June 5, 2017