Saudi Arabia has expressed dismay over international community’s utter ignorance of the lives of Syrians battered by Bashar Assad’s regime and its inability to protect them.

Saudi Ambassador to the UN Faisal Trad during an interactive dialogue held by the Human Rights Council with the International Committee of Inquiry on Syria, said the global silence has allowed the (Assad) regime to continue supporting terrorism … and thereby creating Daesh to justify its lies in fighting terrorism. “Both have become two sides of one coin with one title: Killing, destruction. playing with the Syrians and Islam.”

Trad said the Syrian refugee crisis the world is facing has been caused by the Assad regime. “The people of Syria, who did not find safety at home, found no escape from brutality and tyranny except to flee to an ominous fate on the Mediterranean Sea.”

The envoy said: “Since the first day of the crisis, the Kingdom has hosted the Syrians, but not in refugee camps or shelters for fugitives; it dealt with them from a purely religious and humanitarian aspect to preserve their dignity and safety.”

He said Saudi Arabia has received nearly 2.5 million Syrians since the start of the crisis, given them complete freedom of movement, provided for those who want to stay in the Kingdom, with all facilities, right to free health care, employment and education. “There are currently over 100,000 Syrian students studying in the Kingdom.”

He said the Kingdom believes that the political solution to the crisis is based on the Geneva 1 principles, which focus on forming a transitional governing body, preservation of Syria’s national and regional unity, and the safety of the Syrian civil and military institutions to enable them to run the country.

“However, this will not succeed without the departure of Assad who should not be included in any future arrangements,” said Trad, adding that there should be a withdrawal of all foreign forces including Hezbollah and Iran. Their interference in the internal affairs of countries in the region should be stopped, he pointed out.

The envoy stressed the importance of supporting the recommendations of the Inquiry Committee on putting Assad and his cronies on trial.