YouSaid · the spoken record

Ballour

lines on the record
11
first
2021-12-20
most recent
2021-12-20
sittings or episodes
1
sources
un-security-council

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  1. “These are real stories of innocent children who have been wounded or lost their lives in the past decade of conflict — children who know nothing but bombardment, violence and death. And for what? No amount of power or wealth is worth such brutality and suffering. I will tell my child the stories of each of those children. And I urge Council members to think of their own children during their negotiations on humanitarian access and accountability. Syrian children deserve the same human dignity as their own children. Will Council members put their interests first, or their own?”

    2021-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8937 (2021) · source

  2. “In February, my husband and I will welcome our first child — a boy. My dream for him is that he will be able to live in dignity and freedom, as all Council members hope for their own children. I hope he will not be like Kareem, who lost one of his eyes in a bombing, or like Imran, who found himself trapped under the rubble of his own home. And neither should he lose his limbs, like Mahmoud or Abdul Rahman. He should be free to express his thoughts and feelings publicly without fear of being detained or tortured, like Hamza Al-Khateeb. I hope that he will always have enough medicine and food to eat, unlike the many children who starved to death under illegal sieges, or who today still live on the brink of starvation. These are thoughts that no mother should ever have for her child, yet this is the reality for Syrian mothers today.”

    2021-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8937 (2021) · source

  3. “To those who continue to use their veto to block any efforts at independent investigations, I ask a simple question: what do they have to hide? If, like they say, there have been no crimes committed against health workers in Syria, then surely they would have no problem investigating these allegations. The Council should make clear its support for independent investigative mechanisms. It should also support the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and organizations such as mine in efforts to strengthen the humanitarian notification system. In conclusion, as we begin a new year, I urge Council members to take a fresh approach to the humanitarian situation in Syria, set aside their differences and look beyond their own political objectives. Let this be a year of new beginnings, with an emphasis on promoting human dignity.”

    2021-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8937 (2021) · source

  4. “How can families living in IDP camps be expected to socially distance, when multiple families live in one tent and when 50 families share one bathroom? The international community must provide the necessary resources to enable the health sector to prepare for the next wave. I would also like to speak about the protection of humanitarian workers. Health workers have performed their duties heroically throughout the conflict. Yet after 10 years and more than 600 attacks on health workers, there has still been no accountability. As a result, in addition to over 800 health workers having been killed, many others have fled the country. It is clear that the only way to stop these attacks is through accountability. Yet previous efforts have all been blocked by the Security Council.”

    2021-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8937 (2021) · source

  5. “In the north-west, positivity rates have averaged as high as 50 per cent, intensive care units have been at 100 per cent capacity and hospitals have faced severe shortages of oxygen. Yet only 2.5 per cent of the population have received two doses of vaccines. That is unacceptable. Conflict- affected countries, such as Syria, must be prioritized for the delivery of high-efficacy vaccines. In recent days, COVID-19 has reached Rukban camp, where the situation is extremely dire. There are only three beds prepared, no oxygen, no ventilators and no doctors. Owing to a lack of cross-border access and continued obstruction of cross-line assistance, the civilian population has been left completely exposed. If immediate action is not taken, this current wave in Rukban — and the next wave throughout the country — will be even more deadly.”

    2021-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8937 (2021) · source

  6. “The Council should also require the same level of transparency for humanitarian operations in Damascus and north-east Syria as it does in the north-west. As the dire humanitarian situation requires maximum efficiency, it is crucial to increase the capacity of the health system. That can be achieved through medical education. The Security Council should support the training of new health workers, especially nurses and midwives, and should support specialized training programmes for existing doctors, particularly for intensive care and paediatric oncology. Next, I would like to discuss the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In recent months, Syria has faced a devastating outbreak, which has pushed the health system to the brink of collapse.”

    2021-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8937 (2021) · source

  7. “Yet, without an increase in the number of incubators, doctors are forced to make the difficult decision between which baby to put in an incubator and which to leave to die. We should not accept that. No doctor should ever face that kind of decision. There are several steps that the Security Council can take to lessen the burden on the health system. It can increase the amount of funds, prioritizing long-term funding to enable sufficient planning. Council members can make their own donations of essential items, such as medicines and equipment. The Council must continue to allow for cross-border assistance, which is providing life-saving aid to millions of civilians. Their lives should not be used as political bargaining chips.”

    2021-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8937 (2021) · source

  8. “In the north-west, more than 1.7 million people live in internally displaced persons (IDPs) camps. Eighty-five per cent of the tents are beyond their lifespan, while recent rainstorms literally washed some of them away. Meanwhile, Council members are in a warm and safe place, and, after this meeting, they can return to their homes, while IDPs continue to suffer, with no end in sight. A tent is not sufficient shelter, neither does a food basket provide sufficient nutrition. As a result, we see greater rates of malnutrition, stunting and infant mortality. An increasing number of pregnant women suffer from anaemia and malnutrition, leading to more complications in their pregnancies. Incubators have become scarce, as babies are increasingly born with complications.”

    2021-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8937 (2021) · source

  9. “Today I again urge the Council to refocus its attention on concrete steps that can be taken to deliver humanitarian assistance and alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people. I would first like to focus on the health situation. More than a decade of conflict, along with the intentional targeting of hospitals by the Syrian regime and its allies, has devastated the health system throughout the country. The brave health workers who remain are stretched beyond their limits. Many of my colleagues work 20-hour shifts without a break, sometimes examining as many as 100 patients a day. They do that while under the constant threat of an aerial bombardment, as well as the threat of kidnapping and torture by armed groups. Sadly, needs continue to grow.”

    2021-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8937 (2021) · source

  10. “During that briefing, I told Council members about my experiences managing a hospital in Syria and the challenges faced by health workers throughout the country. I also spoke about the worsening situation for women and children. I talked about the ongoing threat of COVID-19. I urged the Security Council to take further steps to improve the delivery of humanitarian assistance and take meaningful action to hold those who carry out attacks on health accountable. Nine months later, the humanitarian situation in Syria is worse than ever, as are the dynamics in the Security Council. Instead of focusing on achieving its stated objective of maintaining international peace and security, too many Council members focus on their own political objectives and geopolitical rivalries. The Security Council has lost its way.”

    2021-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8937 (2021) · source

  11. “Ms. Ballour: I thank you, Mr. President, for the opportunity to brief the Security Council today. I would especially like to thank the Government of the Niger for the invitation. My name is Amani Ballour. I am a paediatrician from Syria. I currently work for the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS), a humanitarian organization dedicated to providing principled humanitarian assistance to Syrians in need. SAMS operates 40 medical facilities in north-western and north-eastern Syria, including specialized intensive care units for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients, the only cancer treatment centre and mental health centres. We also provide virtual training and telemedicine for health workers throughout the country. I most recently briefed the Security Council this past March (see S/2021/315, annex III).”

    2021-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8937 (2021) · source