Syrian Min. Doubts Death Toll Announced By Int'l Bodies

Tehran, Jan 28, IRNA – Syrian Minister of Social Affairs Kinda al-Shamat, who is on an official visit to Tehran, on Monday expressed doubt on the death toll in Syria conflict announced by international organizations. Speaking to reporters, al-Shamat complained on the double-standards toward Syria by certain international organizations which she said support terrorists in Syria while they claim to make effort to resolve the crisis. Innocent people of Syria have fallen victim to terrorism and an organized conspiracy, she said. Asked by IRNA reporter to comment on shipment of humanitarian aid to Syria, al-Shamat said although this issue was on the agenda of Geneva-2 Conference and the participating countries and organizations, the Syrian government has exercised the best cooperation with the international relief aid agencies to help save the people from starvation due to lack of food and medical supplies She said that the Damascus government had done its best for humanitarian aid to reach the Syrian nation even before the Conference. She said that Geneva-2 Conference was scheduled to focus on countering terrorism in Syria but certain people are trying to overshadow the main issue of the Conference by raising issues such as shipment of humanitarian aid to the country./end