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June 6, 2012

Syrian Allows Aid Workers, Expels Diplomats 
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The Syrian government has reached a deal to allow humanitarian workers
into the country while at the same time announcing the expulsion of
foreign diplomats. An agreement brokered Tuesday would mark the first
authorized entry of international aid groups into Syria aside from the
Red Cross. U.N. official John Ging said the deal marked an important
first step.

John Ging: "Today marked a step of progress in that there is now
agreement with the Syrian government on the scale, scope and modality
for humanitarian response in Syria moving forward. So the discussions
have come to a point of conclusion on the need for scaling up and how we
will do that. Whether this is a breakthrough or not, will be evident in
the coming days and weeks, and it will be measured not in rhetorics, not
in agreements, but in action on the ground."

The announcement on aid workers came as the regime of Bashar al-Assad
announced 17 foreign diplomats are no longer welcome inside Syria.
Ambassadors from the U.S., UK, France and Turkey, as well as embassy
staffers from a number of other countries have been ordered to leave
immediately. The move came days after the United States and 12 other
countries expelled Syrian diplomats following the massacre of civilians
in Houla.

 

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