Run by Al-Assad’s wife | Al-Areen Charitable Foundation turns a blind eye to earthquake-affected residents in Jablah countryside
Al-Areen Charitable Foundation (former Al-Bostan Association), which had been run by Rami Makhlouf, Bashar Al-Assad’s cousin, before Al-Assad’s wife Asmaa Al-Akhras looted the institution at orders by Russia, is responsible for distributing humanitarian assistance in areas controlled by the Syrian regime, mainly in areas along the Syrian coastline.
SOHR sources have reported growing popular discontent in resettlement centres in regime-controlled areas among the people affected by the devastating earthquake over injustice distribution of assistance by the foundation.
According to SOHR sources, officials of Al-Areen Foundation deliberately marginalise the residents of Bostan Al-Basha town, near Jableh city, in Latakia countryside, which is the hometown of Rami Makhlouf, as well as the marginalisation of earthquake-affected people in several village in Jableh area in Latakia province and Al-Qadmous area in Tartus province.
It is worth noting that humanitarian assistance is distributed to families and residents who have not been affected by the earthquake, after registering their names, at the same time, earthquake-affected residents do not receive assistance from the foundation, despite the considerable damage to residential houses and collapsing of buildings in Jableh region and Bostan Al-Basha town.
On February 9, SOHR sources reported that regime’s security services arrested a civilian for “criticizing the Syrian authorities in a video tape”, where he explained that those distributing rescue aids are forced to obtain security approval to be able to distribute aids on those affected by the earthquake, and criticized the inhuman acts and the theft of rescue materials by the regime.
According to reliable SOHR sources, those distributing rescue aids dealt with those affected inproperly, where the aids were thrown in Lattakia countryside in an insulting manner.
Activists circulated video tapes and pictures showing the processes of stealing rescue materials for those affected in Al-Riyadiyah city (Sports city) in Lattakia.
Moreover, local sources of SOHR confirmed that several kinds of rescue materials are being sold in Damascus, Lattakia and different provinces for cheap prices in comparison with the prices of local markets, where dozens of villages and towns did not receive aids, amid appeals to bring aids.