Thank you, ladies, for being with us today.
Your testimony is very compelling. I can assure you that Canada is watching very carefully the things that are going on in Syria. We are most concerned. We have condemned the actions of both sides that are injuring, maiming, and killing people all over Syria.
To you, we express our deep condolences on the loss of your family members.
We trust that this situation will soon come to an end.
You spoke, Ameenah, about the need for the international community to call on free access for humanitarian assistance. We have done that repeatedly but we find, from both sides, opposition to getting humanitarian assistance to those who need it most. Do you have suggestions on how we might make that appeal, so that both sides are prepared to work to allow the humanitarian assistance to get in?
We've seen opposition to that call from the regime, but we've seen equal opposition to that call when opposition members have not allowed free access. It's deeply concerning because we know there are people, as you said, many of them children, who are desperately in need not only of food but they're also in need of medical attention.
I wonder if, from your experience, you have any suggestions on how the international community might make the appeal, so that we get consensus from both sides to allow that aid to get through.