A staff member from a Syrian organisation that Humanity and Inclusion (HI) partners with was killed yesterday. Mustafa, his wife and their two children – both under the age of 8 years old – were killed by shelling in Hamouriyeh, Eastern Ghouta.
7 years of the Syrian conflict
As today marks the 7th anniversary of the Syrian conflict, HI condemns once again bombing and shelling of populated areas and calls on all parties to the conflict to protect civilians.
HI is deeply saddened by this loss of life. As today the Syrian crisis enters into its 8th year, with no end to the conflict in sight, HI deems it unacceptable that civilians in Syria, including humanitarian workers, continue to be targets and victims of the armed conflict.
Hamouriyeh is a small town within Eastern Ghouta and is currently the site of intense bombardment. It is unclear whether Mustafa and his family were trying to flee the bombardment when they were killed, or if they were seeking shelter in a building that was hit by the shelling. Three other partner staff members were injured while trying to assist those who had been injured in the same area.
Mustafa worked as a risk education team leader for over two years. His role was pivotal to informing and protecting his community from the risks associated with explosive hazards and explosive remnants of war. He managed a mobile team which conducted outreach activities across different communities in Eastern Ghouta. Their sessions focused particularly on schools, teaching young Syrians about these hazards. Children are often injured or killed while playing with the remains of explosive hazards that are used during conflict.
“The risk education team were visiting communities on a daily basis until the bombardment of Eastern Ghouta intensified in February 2018. The escalation of violence prevented the team from doing their routine work. Many of the team were displaced from their own homes, as their towns became increasingly unsafe to stay in, and it became too dangerous to move around the enclave on a daily basis. HI calls on the parties to the conflict in Syria to immediately stop the use of explosive weapons in populated areas and to ensure better protection of humanitarian workers. Civilians like Mustafa and his colleagues have been, and will continue to be most effective and efficient way to respond to humanitarian needs in such terrible conditions”, says HI Advocacy Director Anne Héry.
Humanitarian workers provide life-saving assistance, but teachers, nurses and other civil servants have also maintained services that are essential to a robust and functioning society. If and when control of areas changes, humanitarian workers must be allowed to stay and continue their work in all its forms, if this is their choice. With their continued presence, and protection, populations in need can be assured that essential services will be maintained.
Humanitarian access must urgently be granted across Syria to respond to the direct need of the population exhausted by 7 years of the conflict.
According to the UN office of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), reports indicate that the overall number of civilians killed in Eastern Ghouta between the 18th of February and the 11th of March could have reached over 1,100, while it is reported that over 4,000 people have been injured. Although some civilian evacuations began on the 11th of March, there are still hundreds of thousands of people who are trapped under bombardment and remain unable to flee or reach evacuation corridors.
HI against the bombing of civilians
HI launched its "Stop Bombing Civilians" campaign in March 2016. The campaign calls on states to take immediate action and develop a political declaration to reduce harm and increase the protection of civilians living through conflict. States must stop the use of explosive weapons in populated areas and provide assistance to victims including affected communities. The organization is asking the general public to sign its international petition. It will be handed over to the United Nations and policy makers in September 2018.
