Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 21 October 2015

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade

Humanitarian Work of the Syria Civil Defence: Discussion

10:00 am

Photo of Seán CroweSeán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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I welcome Mr. Al Habib. We all share his belief that the Syrian people have the right to live in dignity and freedom. I have just a few questions. How many volunteers do the White Helmets have overall and how many teams have been created? Mr. Al Habib stated in his presentation that they operate in 111 centres and eight provinces. What opposition groups are in control in those areas? Do the White Helmets operate in areas where ISIL or al-Nusra operate, or are they in Kurdish areas? Can Mr. Al Habib give us some sense of the extent of the areas they operate in? What outside and international support have the White Helmets received, have they received training from other civil defence organisations or where do they get support from?

Mr. Al Habib spoke about the Russian bombing and the double-tap tactic. We would all agree that the deliberate targeting of civilians is a war crime. Is evidence being collated in regard to those war crimes, particularly in regard to Russia? What does Mr. Al Habib see as the next step for the international community in regard to this? I know Mr. Al Habib recently visited the United Nations and spoke there. What message did he give and what demands did he make of the international community?