Damascus has slammed the remarks made by the UK’s new envoy to Syria Jonathan Hargreaves, who had said that there is no military solution for the Syria crisis. The British diplomat also reaffirmed support to the political peacemaking process.
“Britain and its officials do not have any credibility to talk about the humanitarian situation in Syria, but rather they shoulder full responsibility for the suffering of the Syrians, which necessitates legal accountability for the crimes they committed against them,” an official source at the Syrian Foreign and Expatriates Ministry told the Syria state news agency, SANA.
Hargreaves had said on Monday that there is no military solution to the Syrian crisis, stressing continued support to the "UN-facilitated political process towards sustainable peace, stability, and security for Syria and the Syrian people."
“Today I begin work as the UK Special Representative for Syria. After 3 years as Development Director overseeing our £3.3bn response to the crisis, I’ve seen first-hand that this conflict is above all a human tragedy, devastating for so many Syrians,” Hargreaves wrote on his Twitter account.
Noting that the tenth anniversary of the start of the peaceful protests in Syria is approaching, he said: “The human cost continues to accelerate. As winter arrives, food and fuel are more scarce and more costly. The UNOCHA says 13 billion people are now in humanitarian need. That’s 2 million more than a year ago.”
The British envoy noted he was proud the UK remains at the forefront of humanitarian response, focusing on people who need it most wherever they are.
“We remain dedicated to helping Syrian refugees in Turkey, Jordan, and Lebanon, and their host communities. It’s not yet safe for refugees to return to Syria,” he said.
Hargreaves’ predecessor, Martin Longden, at the end of his mission, had warned that Syria is standing on the edge of disaster.
