Norway condemns killing of head of the Red Crescent in Syria

“I condemn the killing of the Secretary-General of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, Dr Abd-al-Razzaq Jbeiro, in the strongest possible terms. Volunteers from the Syrian Red Crescent give life-saving first aid to the wounded and injured in an impartial and neutral way. I am deeply concerned by the lack of respect for their efforts. Norway calls on all the parties to the conflict in Syria to respect humanitarian personnel and ensure their safety,” commented Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.  

Dr Jbeiro was killed while in a vehicle that was clearly marked with the Red Crescent emblem. He was one of many Syrians who risk their lives and health every day to help fellow citizens in need and save lives.

The increasingly critical situation in Syria is making humanitarian access absolutely essential. The Syrian Red Crescent is one of very few humanitarian organisations to have been able to carry out lifesaving work, since the Syrian authorities only give very limited room for manoeuvre to other aid organisations. During the last year, many new volunteers, both women and men, have joined the Syrian Red Crescent.

Threats and attacks against humanitarian aid workers and their work are a growing problem. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has recently documented 644 violent incidents targeting health workers and health facilities in 16 countries over a two-year period. The use of weapons, targeting of ambulances, and kidnapping and killing of health workers are some of the incidents mentioned in the report Health Care in Danger.