Statement on the sufferings of the Golan people under occupation

"The International Labor Organization's reports reflect the situation and suffering of our people in the occupied Syrian Golan due to the practices and restrictions imposed by the Israeli occupation authorities particularly regarding employment, human rights and main services," Syria's Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Diala Hajj Aref said Monday.

"Our Syrian citizens in the Golan are facing difficulties because of confiscation and the mining of their lands, building the Israeli settlements, lacking health and educational services, imposing economic siege and preventing their agriculture products to be marketed," Hajj Aref said in statement published by the Syrian daily al-Thawra.

She pointed out to obstacles which were put by the Israeli occupation to prevent marketing of apples from the Golan to the motherland Syria, underlining that "Syria is determined to offer all kinds of support to our people in the occupied Golan."

Fact-Finding mission affiliated to the International Labor Organization is currently preparing a report on the situation of workers, businessmen and Arab citizens in the Syrian Golan and in all the occupied Arab lands.