Post by bot on Apr 30, 2017 19:57:16 GMT -5
Hoyer, Engel Meet with Syrian White Helmet Humanitarian Workers
Washington, DC – This afternoon, Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD) and House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Eliot Engel (D-NY) met with leaders of the Syria Civil Defense (SCD) organization, also known as the “White Helmets.” These local Syrian aid workers have created a national organization that has saved thousands of Syrian civilians caught in the crossfire of that country’s devastating civil war. Also joining the meeting were representatives from Syrian opposition groups seeking greater U.S. engagement in ending the conflict.
“This was a very important meeting,” said Whip Hoyer. “The White Helmet aid workers are not only a lifeline for innocent civilians facing the hardship of living in a war zone. They are also working day and night on the ground in Syria and have unique insights into the conduct of the war, the nature of the humanitarian crisis that war has produced, and ways the international community can help bring an end to the fighting. The White Helmets have borne witness firsthand to the atrocities committed by the Assad regime and its backers. They were among the first to respond in providing assistance to the victims of the horrific chemical attack several weeks ago, and the White Helmets continue to earn the admiration of people the world over for their courage in helping the innocent victims of war.”
“I was grateful for the opportunity to meet with the White Helmets, the real-life heroes of the Syrian Civil War,” Ranking Member Engel said. “Their lifesaving measures have sustained the people of Syria and inspired us all. Their work continues to underscore the need for American leadership to stop the wholesale slaughter of the Syrian people. Encounters like these are the reason that I introduced the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, the House legislation that would sanction those who support the Syrian regime’s war crimes and bring accountability to Bashar Assad and his henchmen. We must rededicate ourselves to finding a path forward in Syria that ends the violence, begins the transition, and allows the people of Syria to rebuild.”