Daraa, Syria at Risk for Large Scale Attack by Regime Forces

The Assad regime and its backers gather in the countryside as the citizens of Daraa are once again rising up, continuing their fight for freedom and justice

WASHINGTON D.C., May 22, 2020 – The residents of Daraa, a city in southwestern Syria, have taken to the streets peacefully, once again standing up in demanding basic freedoms, and have been met with violent force from the Syrian regime and Iranian militias, who are poised for a full-scale attack. The members of the Syrian American Council call on the U.S. government and nations who support a free and democratic Syria to demand a stop to the lethal acts of violence by the Assad regime and its backers.

Deadly Terrorist Bombing in Afrin, Syria Highlights Local Corruption and Instability 

Syrian American Council calls for immediate reforms among opposition factions in northeast Syria  

WASHINGTON D.C., May 2, 2020 – On Tuesday, April 28, nearly 50 civilians were killed in a terrorist attack in the city of Afrin, Syria. A truck bomb targeted a market area full of families buying food to break their Ramadan fast. Nearly a dozen children were among the victims. 

Every attack against civilians in Syria is an intolerable crime, but this incident – coming at a moment of collective global crisis – stands out for its cruelty and callousness. The Syrian American Council strongly condemns those responsible for this horrific act of terrorism and expresses sympathy for the families impacted by this violence. 

Syrian American Council To Participate In Together We Remember Global Virtual Vigil

On April 30, executive director, Suzanne Meriden will join a coalition of leading genocide education and human rights organizations in a 24-hour virtual vigil to conclude Genocide Awareness Month

WASHINGTON D.C., April 29, 2020 – On Thursday, April 30, from 10-11 a.m. EST, Syrian American Council executive director, Suzanne Meriden will join an esteemed panel of activists and frontline workers in a discussion on “Working for peace, justice, and healing in Syria” as part of a 24-hour Global Virtual Vigil, hosted by Together We Remember. The panel will be moderated by journalist and author Sam Dagher, and additional panelists will include Abdulrahman Almawwas of the White Helmets and Ahed Festuk of the Multifaith Alliance for Syrian Refugees.

The Syrian American Council Cautions Aid Organizations Against the Weaponization of Aid by the Syrian Regime

In light of COVID-19, World Health Organization and others must confront Assad’s exploitation of aid organizations 

WASHINGTON D.C., April 13, 2020 – The Syrian American Council advises careful decision making by policymakers and aid organizations in the face of calls by members of the United Nations to lift economic sanctions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nine years of war in Syria have revealed that the Syrian regime has used aid as a weapon of war while killing its own people, and will continue to do so, while deceiving aid organizations. 

March 11-12 Events Postponed Due to COVID-19

WASHINGTON D.C., March 9, 2020 – In light of the recent developments and public health concerns related to the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the Syrian American Council its partners have decided to postpone the commemoration events for the ninth anniversary of the Syrian revolution, originally scheduled for March 11-12.

Syrian American Council Calls on NATO Allies, Opposition to Reject Ceasefire Negotiations and Change Trajectory in Idlib

WASHINGTON D.C., March 4, 2020 – This Thursday, March 5, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin about de-escalating the situation in Idlib and avoiding a direct war between the two military powers. Since Turkish forces were attacked in Idlib last week prompting Turkey to launch operation “Spring Shield,” Turkey’s precise and effective attacks have taken a heavy toll on the Syrian military and halted their brutal advance.

Syrian American Council Calls for No-Fly Zone and Open Borders Amidst Escalation with Turkey in Idlib 

33 Turkish soldiers killed by Russian-backed Assad regime in Idlib province as violence in northwest Syria intensifies

WASHINGTON D.C., February 28, 2020 – The Syrian American Council offers its sincere condolences to the Republic of Turkey and to the families of at least 33 Turkish soldiers killed yesterday in Idlib province. Following this major escalation by Russia and the Assad regime, the Syrian American Council demands the U.S. government and international community impose a no-fly zone over northern Syria, while also calling on Turkey to allow safe passage to Syrians who wish to escape the ever-increasing violence.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

A coalition of advocacy, human rights, faith-based, and civic organizations and Ambassador Robert Ford to Demand Relief for the Humanitarian Crisis in Idlib, Syria

WASHINGTON D.C., February 19, 2020 – On Thursday, February 20, a coalition of advocacy, human rights, faith-based, and civic organizations will hold a news conference in Washington, D.C. in Cannon House Office Building at 11 a.m. EST. Ambassador Robert Ford, the last American Ambassador to Syria, will give remarks. The coalition will bring attention to the dire humanitarian conditions in Idlib, Syria and demand the United States and the international community come to the aid of those suffering in Idlib. Syrian Americans who recently returned from humanitarian missions to Idlib will also take part in the news conference. 

More than three million Syrian civilians in Idlib province are suffering in catastrophic conditions. Since December 1, more than 900,000 people have been displaced in northwest Syria - with most of them stuck in a small area on the border with Turkey. According to the United Nations, approximately 80% of the displaced are women and children. The harsh winter conditions and inadequate housing has caused the deaths of infants and children who freeze to death in the cold. U.N. Under Secretary, General Mark Lowcock called the crisis the largest exodus of civilians since World War II and the biggest humanitarian horror story in the twenty-first century. Turkey already hosts 3.6 million Syrian refugees and says it cannot absorb any more.