Save the Children: Liberation of Raqqa Does not Signal End of Humanitarian Crisis

A woman holds her belongings as she flees Raqqa, Syria October 16, 2017. (Reuters)
A woman holds her belongings as she flees Raqqa, Syria October 16, 2017. (Reuters)
TT
20

Save the Children: Liberation of Raqqa Does not Signal End of Humanitarian Crisis

A woman holds her belongings as she flees Raqqa, Syria October 16, 2017. (Reuters)
A woman holds her belongings as she flees Raqqa, Syria October 16, 2017. (Reuters)

The liberation of the Syrian city of Raqqa from the ISIS terrorist group does not mean the end of humanitarian suffering in the region, warned Save the Children on Tuesday.

It instead said that the situation is in fact escalating.

"The military offensive in Raqqa may be coming to an end, but the humanitarian crisis is greater than ever," the aid group's Syria director Sonia Khush said in a statement.

The Syrian Democratic Forces announced on Tuesday that the city has been liberated from ISIS after a four-month military campaign.

Save the Children warned that "some 270,000 people who have fled the Raqqa fighting are still in critical need of aid, and camps are bursting at the seams."

It said that most Raqqa families had no homes to go back to and that thousands of civilians were still being displaced in the eastern Deir al-Zour province, where fighting was still raging.

The aid group said that the reconstruction effort would require massive investment and that funding would also be needed to bring children back to school.

"Many are plagued by nightmares from witnessing horrific violence and will need extensive psychological support," the aid group said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights meanwhile announced that 3,250 people, including some 1,130 civilians, were killed in the campaign to liberate Raqqa that began in June.

Director of the rights group, Rami Abdul Rahman, stressed that there are hundreds of people missing and they are likely stuck under the rubble in the city that has witnessed heavy destruction in the months-long offensive.



Hamas Rejects Trump Remarks on Gaza Talks Breakdown

Members of the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, at the Al-Nuseirat Camp, central Gaza, on February 22. (EPA)
Members of the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, at the Al-Nuseirat Camp, central Gaza, on February 22. (EPA)
TT
20

Hamas Rejects Trump Remarks on Gaza Talks Breakdown

Members of the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, at the Al-Nuseirat Camp, central Gaza, on February 22. (EPA)
Members of the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, at the Al-Nuseirat Camp, central Gaza, on February 22. (EPA)

Hamas officials expressed surprise on Saturday at US President Donald Trump's accusation that the group "didn't really want" a ceasefire and hostage release deal for Gaza.

Trump made the allegation of Friday a day after Israel and the United States quit indirect negotiations with Hamas in Qatar that had lasted nearly three weeks.

"Trump's remarks are particularly surprising, especially as they come at a time when progress had been made on some of the negotiation files," Hamas official Taher al-Nunu told AFP.

"So far, we have not been informed of any issues regarding the files under discussion in the indirect ceasefire negotiations", he added

Nunu, who is close to Hamas's most senior political officials, said he was "surprised" that Israel and the United States had left the talks.

Announcing the recall of US mediators on Thursday, Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff accused Hamas of not "acting in good faith".

Though not part of the Hamas negotiating team, Hamas politburo member Izzat al-Rishq insisted the group had shown "flexibility" in the talks.

"The American statements deliberately ignore the real obstructionist to all agreements, Netanyahu's government, which continues to put obstacles, deceive and evade commitments," he said.

Both Hamas officials called on the United States to be more even-handed in its role as mediator in the quest for a ceasefire after more than 21 months of fighting.

"We call for an end to the US bias in favour of Netanyahu, who is obstructing any agreement", Nunu said.