Statement of Yisser Bittar
Government Relations and Advocacy Assistant
Syrian American Council and Coalition for a Democratic Syria , June 2013.
Presented at: “Fleeing to Live: Syrian Refugees in the OSCE Region” before the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe
Chairman
Cardin and Members of the Commission, thank you for inviting me to
testify on behalf of the Coalition for a Democratic Syria’s work on
Syrian refugees and internally displaced persons.
What began in March 2011 as a peaceful revolution in Syria, with
hundreds of thousands taking to the streets calling for freedom and
democracy in the face of bullets and tanks, has evolved into what
President of Oxfam America, Ray Offenheiser describes as a humanitarian
catastrophe of “Darfur-level insanity…if not worse.” Furthermore, just
last week, the UN made yet another aid appeal of $5 billion, it’s
largest ever, maintaining that nearly half of the country’s population
will need aid.
My comments today will focus on the Coalition’s work for the 1.6 million
Syrian refugees and 4.25 million IDPs, many of whom have been displaced
multiple times. I will then relay observations from my recent trips
into Syria, during which I took a closer look into the depth and
complexity of the humanitarian crisis on the ground.
CDS represents the Syrian American community advocacy in support of the
Syrian revolution. Our generous constituency throughout the country has
been the driving force in our work for refugees and IDPs.
According to data compiled by the American Relief Coalition for Syria,
the Syrian American community contributed $45 million in humanitarian
aid in 2012; this number is projected to double in 2013. The networks of
these organizations are able to reach areas under extremely difficult
circumstances, at times when access by the UN is very limited or
altogether
lacking.
The international community’s efforts in addressing the humanitarian
crisis in Syria have somewhat improved in recent months, through the
introduction of cross-line and cross- border aid deliveries by
international NGO’s albeit on a scale that does not measure up to the
massive needs.
I saw small examples firsthand in the IDP camps inside Syria. During my
first trip, I saw very little presence of UN agency work; rather the
tents were donated by non-profit organizations willing to cross the
border. While on the border, 2 tents caught fire as families used
candles to keep warm, killing 7 children; these children survived the
landing of a mortar shell in their kitchen only to be killed by their
supposed source of refuge. During my second trip, 2 months later,
several UNHCR tents were set up throughout these camps as the number of
IDPs at the border approximately doubled to reach 60,000 people.
Unfortunately, other needs such as food and sanitation are in desperate condition.
Refugees are forced to purchase their own food from local villages as
their daily allocation of one loaf of bread, a tub of butter and jam,
and one water bottle is often not sufficient.
My experience as I traveled further into Syria was even more
heartbreaking. As I traveled 2 hours into the country, I saw a
physically beautiful Syria as a backdrop to the reality that the Assad
regime has forced upon the people. We drove by homes that have been
brought to the ground, places of worship that were destroyed and
buildings that had been leveled.
I saw families living in remnants of ancient buildings, and structures
that once housed livestock. After arriving at the city of Kafrenbal, I
made my way to the statistics bureau of the local civilian council, a
body formed by activists to meet the needs of the population in the
absence of government services. As I was visiting the school that housed
displaced children, an attack helicopter flew over our heads, and the
children reassured me, saying, “If we are meant to die, it is God’s
will. Don’t be scared.” According to the head of the humanitarian bureau
of the local council, the aid that we delivered had been the first
delivery in at least 1 month; he delivered food baskets to women who
accepted them with tears streaming down their faces. That night, we
faced 6 hours of non-stop shelling by regime forces; the following
day, we escaped to Turkey.
On the Turkish side of the border, we stayed in the border town of
Rehanlye, whose population has doubled since the beginning of the
crisis, to reach 80,000 people. According to USAID, Turkey is home to
approximately 351,000 registered Syrian refugees; of them, 100,000
Syrians reside in non-camp settings. The total amount of aid spent in
Turkey has reached $1.5 billion with the Turkish government providing
over $600 million.
Although I was not given access to the Turkish refugee camps, I visited
several Syrian families living amongst the urban population. I saw very
difficult living conditions for families paying up to 700 Turkish pounds
in rent; a family of 6 was living in a shed without running water or
electricity. Another family of 7 was living on the rooftop of a building
with a makeshift roof for coverage.
The number of refugees and IDPs is at a scale in which, according to
assessments from the ground, there is little room for error on behalf of
the international community. These numbers will only increase as the
situation on the ground is deteriorating by the day. Just last week, in
the city of Qusayr, thousands of civilians were forced to flee to
neighboring villages as Assad forces, backed by Iranian and Hezbollah
militias, placed a vicious siege on the city of 25,000 people. Although
positive steps in aid delivery have been made, a disconnect remains in
ensuring proper and efficient aid delivery on behalf of the
international community. We believe it is important to partner with the
Assistance Coordination Unit of the internationally recognized Syrian
Coalition (ACU), the provincial councils in the liberated areas, as well
as the Syrian NGOs that have proven to deliver to disaster stricken
areas.
More importantly, the U.S. has to demonstrate strong resolve and serious
commitment to helping solve the conflict in Syria—the root cause of the
humanitarian disaster. Absence of U.S.-led international action has
permitted the crisis to fester and reach its current tragic proportions,
and continued inaction will only exacerbate it. Without addressing the
root cause of the problem, the illegitimate Assad regime, the staggering
numbers of IDPs and relentless exodus of refugees will continue to
overwhelm the humanitarian response and destabilize OSCE member Turkey,
OSCE partner Jordan, and all of Syria’s neighbors.
Thank you very much.
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Press release from CDS
Washington, DC, Aug 31st, 2013
The Coalition for a Democratic Syria (CDS) urges
Members of Congress to support an authorization for the use of military
force by the US against Assad regime targets in Syria. Such
authorization, and actions taken pursuant to it, must be strategic and
decisive enough both to send a message to Assad and other tyrants and
terrorists that the world will not tolerate the use of chemical weapons,
and also to set the stage for a full transition of power in Syria from
Assad to an opposition-led democratic transitional body. Delaying
action against the Syrian regime, or limiting the authorization and use
of force to cosmetic action, will only embolden Assad and give him more
time to kill innocent men, women, and children.
It is imperative that targeting specific Assad military posts takes
place sooner rather than later in order to save Syrian lives and weaken
the regime’s ability to commit mass atrocities, and the US must exercise
caution to avoid civilian deaths. Moreover, as long as Assad remains
in Syria, the conflict and the divisiveness will continue to increase,
and the road to rebuilding will grow progressively more difficult.
“The Syrian people need immediate US help to relieve them of the grave
murders and human rights abuses perpetrated by the Assad regime,” said
Dr. Yahya Basha, Chairman of CDS. “The US must degrade Assad strongly
enough to force him to engage in a negotiated transition of power, to
stop committing such atrocities, and to pave the way for Syrians to
begin the difficult but critical processes of reconciliation,
reconstruction, and democratization.”
The CDS urges Members of Congress to authorize this action not only to
protect Syrian civilians, but also in the deep and direct national
interests of the United States to support stability and democracy in
Syria. Allowing this conflict to continue will only make it more and
more dangerous to Syrians, to the US, and to the world.
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Statement from "Simon", a Syrian Christian inside Syria.
Sep 4, 2013. You are in America,
especially the American people and not the government do not know what's going
on in Syria.
I am from Syria this first
Christian community. Christ helped me and helped my Syria Amin.
I'll take it you're like my
mother I'll tell you that Christians and even Muslims danger of these terrorist
groups in Syria.
I hope the American people
that We teach our I'm the Syrian government is honest and who kills people and
children are the opposition by mercenaries
We do not want reach
a point that we'll say 'goodbye' for the old Syria, and 'welcome' to the new
Iraq in Syria.
I will explain to you in
detail what happens.
Events began in Syria on
the basis of peaceful demonstrations issued by President Bashar al-Assad to
deal with demonstrations gently _ the proportion of the population who took to
the demonstrations of not more than 20%. She also said these demonstrations the
word (freedom) _ asked people in every corner of the ground in Syria, what
freedom means. There was no answer. I, personally, I was wondering what they
want freedom went out and delegations from the Syrian media to Liberty Street
asked them what was freedom of their answer I do not know but I want freedom
I'm talking about, who demanded freedom after this period of the outbreak of
demonstrations 3 months at the date of 16/6 / 2011 vacancy Bridge massacre
killed 120 of the Syrian Arab Army ....
Question of who killed the Syrian Arab
Army _ the answer: they themselves who demanded freedom and liberation of
bloodshed since the beginning. Note the army killed mean that they violated the
law. In any country all over the world every violation of the law ...........
The Syrian Arab Army deployment of its forces at each point in Syria in order
to protect the people from their terror ........
Terrorists killed the Syrian
people on the basis of the identity _ blocked the streets and roads of
international _ the terrorists to kill a lot of university professor and
attacked government buildings destroyed productivity in each country _ cutting
off water and electricity and people are not convinced that blew up in some
universities and prevented the students from the university and after all that
what they say freedom of time after all the opposition say we want good for our
country from the opposition that they (Syria has destroyed our country) .. ...
Now the terrorists are riots all over Syria and they have used chemical weapons
against our people and the American government defends terrorism.
Do you want
to terrorism, and the United States government in Syria ....... I want to send
a message to the world that we want to get rid of terrorism, and we want a
beautiful life as it was before Syria ............ There are videos to prove
the truth.
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Surgical strike? Impossible. SJ Dodgson MJoTA 2013 v7n2 p0905
I think the US lawmakers who want a surgical bombing of chemical weapons plants with no risk to US military are in fairyland. I am hearing that Syrian movement of weapons is fast and furious; you know they are going to move the weapons to schools and hospitals so that the US bombs little children. Syrian opposition forces wants to be armed to fight the army controlled by Syrian elected-president-for-life Assad, who is happily being supplied anything he needs by Russia. Russia did the same thing in Biafra. Russia is the key. We certainly need to help Syria, have needed to help but not by bombing it "surgically". That is my opinion. The opinion of Syrians, read on this page.
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From Turkey
with love: Turkey spreads peace and hope through the Brooklyn Amity
School, through Peace Islands, through international peace making click here
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Edited from Wikipedia:
1. The National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, commonly named the Syrian Coalition (Coalition nationale syrienne) is a coalition of opposition groups in the Syrian civil war that was founded in Doha, Qatar, in November 2012. On 19 March 2013, the Syrian Coalition selected Ghassan Hitto as prime minister of an interim government for Syria. On 31 May, the coalition gave membership to 15 representatives of the Free Syrian Army. On 6 July, the coalition elected: Ahmad Asi Al-Jarba as president and Anas Al-Abdah as secretary
general. Yisser Bittar speaks for the Syrian Coalition.
2. (Statement on their website from June 2012). The Coalition for a Democratic Syria is a group of Syrian-American
non-profit organizations working together to bring about a swift end to
the conflict and support the establishment of peace, freedom, and
democracy in Syria. The CDS is a multi-ethnic, multi-confessional,
non-partisan organization. The CDS includes: Syrian Emergency Task Force
(SETF), United for Free Syria (UFS), Syrian American Council (SAC),
Syrian American Alliance (SAA), Syrian Expatriates Organization (SEO),
Syrian Christians for Democracy (SCD), and Association of Free Syrians
(AFS).
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