Challenges Faced by Syrian Civil Defense Amid Ongoing Crisis
The Syrian Civil Defense, led by Raed Al-Saleh, is grappling with significant challenges following the regime change in Syria. The most pressing issues include the discovery of numerous mass graves and the urgent need for mine clearance operations. Al-Saleh emphasized the necessity for advanced equipment and technology to effectively uncover these graves, which are believed to contain the remains of many victims of the previous regime.
In a recent interview with Al Jazeera, Al-Saleh called on families of detainees and missing persons to exercise patience as efforts are made to identify the bodies buried in these mass graves. He highlighted that the ousted regime had systematically coded bodies with numbers linked to burial sites, aiming to obscure the truth and evade accountability for the atrocities committed.
Mass Graves and Human Rights Violations
Reports indicate that a mass grave discovered near Damascus may contain at least 100,000 bodies, a figure described as conservative by Moaz Mustafa, head of the Syrian Emergency Organisation. This grave is part of a network of five identified sites, underscoring the scale of human rights violations during the Assad regime. Al-Saleh noted that the Civil Defense does not have the capacity to extract bodies from these graves without international cooperation, as the process requires specialized resources and support.
Mine Clearance and Humanitarian Efforts
In addition to the grim task of dealing with mass graves, the Syrian Civil Defense faces the daunting challenge of mine clearance. The presence of mines and remnants of war significantly hampers the movement of civil defense teams and obstructs the return of displaced citizens to their homes. Al-Saleh stressed the need for specialized teams to safely remove these hazards and called for increased training and resources to address the widespread contamination of land.
The Civil Defense has received support from various international entities, including a rapid response from the State of Qatar and assistance from the British government. The organization is currently active in ten provinces, focusing on maintaining emergency services and rehabilitating public infrastructure to facilitate the return of citizens to their communities.
