NGOs and Faith Groups to Obama & Putin: Hope is Crumbling on your Watch, Save Syria’s Ceasefire

A Syrian family huddles around a fire in their informal tented settlement, located in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon. PHOTO: World Vision/Jon Warren
A Syrian family huddles around a fire in their informal tented settlement, located in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon. PHOTO: World Vision/Jon Warren

(April 29, 2016) — Nearly 100 NGOs and faith groups have come together to call for renewed efforts to bring peace to the Syria conflict and relief for the millions of innocent civilians impacted. The Syria conflict entered its 5th year in March. The statement follows below:

“Violence across Syria has escalated alarmingly, reportedly claiming a life on average every 25 minutes in the past 48 hours. We cannot stand by in the face of this catastrophe. Global NGOs and faith groups demand that President Barack Obama and President Vladimir Putin immediately use their personal diplomatic engagement to save what remains of the Cessation of Hostilities (CoH) agreement.

In recent days, unacceptable violations of Syria’s CoH and the rules of international law have threatened to doom the initiative in its entirety. Numerous strikes on civilians, including several targeting medical facilities and rescue workers, have killed dozens. This must stop now. Just weeks ago, the US and Russia helped secure the CoH, providing a glimpse of what a respite from violence means for people in Syria. Fewer people died in the first month of Syria’s ceasefire than at almost any other time since the war began. For many, it was the first time in years that they could walk the streets without fear. This was a first glimpse of hope. That hope that now hangs in the balance. Syria is yet again on the brink of humanitarian disaster and the need for action is urgent.

President Obama and President Putin: these atrocities are happening on your watch. Please heed the call of the UN Special Envoy to Syria to take urgent steps to rescue Syria’s cessation of hostilities and end attacks on civilians. Please act now to keep hope alive for Syrians.”

Signed,

1.     11.11.11

2.     Association for Aid and Relief Japan

3.     Action on Armed Violence

4.     Action Contre la Faim

5.     Andalus Center for tolerance and coexistence

6.     Arab Coalition for Sudan (ACS)

7.     Arab Program for Human Rights Activists (APHRA)

8.     ASML

9.     Bangla 2000

10.   Baptists Together

11.   Big Heart

12.   Broederlijk Delen

13.   The Council for British Arab Understanding (CAABU)

14.   CAFOD

15.   CARE International

16.   CCFD-Terre Solidaire

17.   Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC)

18.   Center for Victims of Torture

19.   ChildrenPlus

20.   Christian Aid

21.   Church of Scotland

22.   CREDO Action

23.   Doctors of the World UK

24.   Doctors of the World USA

25.   Euromed (EMHRN)

26.   International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)

27.   Friends Committee on National Legislation

28.   Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect (GCR2P)

29.   Hand in Hand for Syria

30.   Helen Bamber Foundation

31.   Hivos (Humanist Institute for Cooperation with Developing Countries)

32.   Hope for Syria

33.   Human Rights and Democracy Media Center “SHASM” /Palestine

34.   iguacu

35.   Ihsan

36.   Independent Doctors Association (IDA)

37.   Institute for Policy Studies

38.   International Rescue Committee

39.   Islamic Relief

40.   Just Foreign Policy, US

41.   Karam Foundation

42.   Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation

43.   Lord Bishop of Coventry, on behalf of the Church of England

44.   Madani organisation

45.   Mayday Rescue

46.   Medical Aid for Palestinians

47.   Medics Under Fire

48.   Middle East and North Africa Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (MENAPPAC)

49.   Mercy Corps

50.   Methodist Church in Britain

51.   Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies

52.   Non-Violence Network in the Arab Countries

53.   Oxfam

54.   PAX

55.   Pax Christi Flanders

56.   Pax Christi International

57.   Peace Action

58.   Peace, Justice Sustainability Florida

59.   People in Need

60.   Permanent Peace Movement

61.   Physicians Across Continents (PAC)

62.   Physicians for Human Rights

63.   Protection Approaches

64.   Rahma Relief

65.   Relief International

66.   Relief & Reconciliation for Syria

67.   Rethink Rebuild Society

68.   Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS)

69.   Save the Children

70.   Sawa for Development and Aid

71.   STAND: The Student-Led Movement to End Mass Atrocities

72.   Syria Charity

73.   Syria Civil Defence

74.   Syria Network for Human Rights

75.   Syria Relief

76.   Syria Relief and Development

77.   Syrian British Medical Society

78.   Syrian Civil Coalition

79.   Syrian Network for Human Rights

80.   Tearfund

81.   The Center for Victims of Torture

82.   The David Nott Foundation

83.   The Phoenix Foundation

84.   The Society for Threatened Peoples (Germany)

85.   The Syria Campaign

86.   The United Reformed Church

87.   Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations (UOSSM)

88.   Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations (UOSSM) France

89.   United Muslim Relief

90.   Vision GRAM-International

91.   War Child

92.   Win Without War

93.   Women Now for Development

94.   Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF)

95.   World Vision

96.   Zaad

97.   Zaytoon

About World Vision:
World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization conducting relief, development, and advocacy activities in its work with children, families, and their communities in nearly 100 countries to help them reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. World Vision serves all people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender. For more information, please visit www.WorldVision.org/media-center/ or on Twitter @WorldVisionUSA.

Highlights

  • Nearly 100 NGO and faith groups calling for renewed peace efforts in Syria
  • Recent sting of bombings has put cessation of hostilities in jeopardy
  • Syrian conflict entered its 5th year in March