providing enough flour on a daily basis, weekly, monthly to many bakeries to be 300,000 people regularly now. and as your note, the un agencies are also providing tremendous amounts of food,

probably feeding more than 2 million people. winter may be ending, but we were very active in winter, and we think that we reached with simple things, but very important things like blankets and say heaters and mattresses. we think we reached probably something like three and a half million people inside syria this past winter. that think the area that we can feel particularly proud of that i have had the opportunity to witness firsthand a couple of times around the world is the work that we are doing to provide acute medical care. now, you know how the regime targeted medical personnel and that -- medical said philip -- facilities. it is hard to fathom, but it is a fact. yes, very, very brave.

maybe even daring ngos funded by the united states and others of providing surgery's to rebel soldiers, families caught in the crossfire among families injured by beryl bonds in picture basements in damaged buildings where we have established hospitals, mobile hospitals because they have to move around when the regime finds out where they are. and in these facilities, and these very dangerous buildings that have been bombed they have performed so far -- i have the number here. 2,503,000 surgery's so far. in the middle of a war zone. again, these are these brave

humanitarian ngos that are in their with our funding and funding from others. and then finally the help that we are giving to what we call the refugees, the turks called in their guests, but not just in turkey, the countries surrounding syria. you know, as many of you know and as many of you have seen turkey has established 22 camps on its border. they are terrific camps. but the influx because of things like the barrell bombing is driving more and more people north to the turkish border. and we now probably have two or three times as many syrians living in urban communities and not in the camps in turkey. imagine what that would be like in your community if hundreds of thousands of people were to

arrive. but the strain of the municipal services that the government of turkey and its cities and offered. so weak, the united states and other donor countries are trying to step been to help the turkish cities cope, particularly with health care and with schools. and schools -- i see a lot of parents in the room. schools are incredibly important when children have been out of school as long as they have obviously you care about their education. but it is more than that in the middle of a crisis. when they have been uprooted from their homes, had to live with violence at home and made the trek to the border and set up a home in a strange environment where they speak another language giving children some routine back in their lives with school is very, very important. there are a lot of syrian teachers that have also come.

we are trying in other donor countries in the turkish government is trying to set up as many schools as we can in turkish cities with syrian teachers, with syrian textbooks so that the children particularly king back-to-school and have some routine in their life about the importance of the political transition that is under way and, of course, the united states is very much supportive of that -- the political solution to the crisis we also support -- this is our second line of effort, leading the humanitarian talking for a minute about what the united states is doing to support not just the delegation from the -- that went to geneva, but maybe even you might agree with me,

maybe more important to put in the local council inside syria were trying to keep the lights on, trying to keep the garbage picked up, trying to keep the clinic open in trying to keep the school open. [applause] those councils are brave, standing up to the regime, standing up to extremists, and we're going to help them. let me give you a couple of quick examples of how we are. we all know about the terrible destruction. we are working very hard to provide the best civil defense equipment and training that we possibly can. is starting with training and packs full of civil defense equipment. now, ladies and gentlemen, we are providing fire trucks and big trucks that can carry away rubble and soon there will be sending in trucks with big cranes on them. this is a priority for us.

the fire trucks have just arrived within the last ten days. [applause] let me give you just a few examples. there are too many. how we are helping particular local councils. it is very difficult sometimes to get equipment across the border because of the violence inside or because the turkish authorities oppose the board temporarily. you read about this. so very often rely on cash. the united states government does not like to give cash because it is hard to account for it and it could be spent on the wrong things, but we realize that very often that is the best solution in the conflict. and we are trusting local councils inside syria to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars each for these kinds of projects

for the city council went out and bought basic food items in the midst of a siege with cash we provided. the revolutionary council use the cash that we gave them to provide bread to their community . the city local council restored telephone service by hiring some experts to reconnect connections with the cash that we provided and electrical lines. maybe just a couple more schools are very important. we are providing the cash that we provided to some of these local councils that has enabled them to reopen by latest count over 90 schools which is getting 30,000 children back to school. another thing we're doing to

support the local council -- and this is just getting started but as a lot of promise. that is supporting local police. security in these communities is terribly important. and so training for the police command equipment for the police, yes, even police cars and salaries for the police is also something that the united states is supporting today starting. and then -- [applause] and i have to mention the brave, brave work of syrian journalists, particularly tv and radio who are broadcasting inside with help from us. [applause] and not just broadcasting the bad news of the regimes of the latest brutality, but broadcasting to moms and dads on the ticker that runs along the

bottom of the screen it tells mothers and fathers where the snipers are today. what clinic is open today. what road to avoid, the food. priceless information for a family that is trying to survive thanks to these journalists and we have very proud to help them. [applause] and then finally let me tell you about the work of my teams to support the freeze syrian army, a third sign of effort. a lot and more to come. so far we have provided to commanders of the snc over half a million meals that we provide to our own soldiers. we call them in murray's. 1500 medical kits. a thousand chance. buses, dozens of trucks,

communications equipment, internet systems, routers, laptops, generators. ladies and gentlemen there is more to come. we are looking now in the neighboring countries around syria to put together what we call food baskets for the soldiers inside to have the staples that they need to sustain themselves on the battlefield. there is more coming to this be within the snc right now causing a some slowing. we will keep going because we know which commanders we have worked with in the past and we can continue to trust that we will deliver to them. impact to now we have some deliveries planned for this coming week. let me just conclude by asking you for three things. i'm not in a position to ask you for anything, but you have been nice enough to give me the floor, saw go ahead. number one please, ladies and

gentlemen keep paying taxes. [applause] number two, i said at the outset we don't tell the story as well because we are concerned about the safety of the brave ngos. many of them are syrian. in the people that work for them almost all of them are syrian. we want to protect them. we don't want it to be targeted by the regime. if you learn anything today, if i gave you the sense that maybe we are doing something inside help us tell the story. a back to your communities, talk about this. yes, to use the political process to change the policy you don't like. also tell your communities will we are doing because we really do need your continued support because there's a lot more to be done. finally, number three. this is one that i always say

when i look at the audience and see the demographics of the audience. if you don't like the policy young people in the room raise your hand if you're under 30 and your not for loving your current job. if you're a little bit discontent. come on. those of you -- well, some of the older ones may be too. let me tell you, those of us in the foreign service, some of us need to retire. the foreign service is a great opportunity for yang americans like many of you to step ben then change the policy you don't like your help people like me get more assistance across the border in the face of very, very terrible loss. really, i encourage and people who think about public service

to think about the foreign service, come into the state department, come into usaid and helpless. thank you very much. [applause] >> we are running short on time. very keen to answer many questions. because we are will allow one question. and that's it. i'm sorry. i love you all, but became of away from syria. move on. >> it better be good. [inaudible question]

[inaudible question] [inaudible question] [inaudible question] [inaudible question] [inaudible question]

[inaudible question] [inaudible question] [inaudible question] [inaudible question] [applause] >> let me just respond to the last point because it is very important. there is lot of confusion about where the u.n. is and isn't. maybe there on your program and can speak to this. the un agencies are bound by their rules to deal with the

regime. so w. ft is working. it is -- i mean, the united states -- and there are people in the regime controlled areas that need help. the united states -- yes. there are people in the regime controlled areas that need help. maybe not as many as in the liberated area. what are we doing? knowing that the un agencies are not working in the liberated areas we are funding ngos to do what they would do. when i talked about the bakeries in and around those provided flour and fuel by our ngo. now you may hear from your friends. we don't see any american flour. we don't. for all the reasons i talked about. nobody knows it's from us. we are supporting about 90 bakeries regularly supplying

them. that is not wfp. we'll look forward to the day. maybe a new u.n. security resolution will be the key we have been looking for that the u.n. agencies can start working cross border including wfp. think i have to go. anyway, thank you. [applause] >> no, i want. >> we need to move on. you. >> of light. thank you. >> we are going to be extending the session for a little bit. we have some activists that i going to share their stories. first before we do that if we could sort of get everybody's attention. i introduced to you and a half. a political directors here in d.c.

they're going to be introducing in giving the award to congressman. thank you. >> please join us in recognizing . [applause] [applause] >> congressman these no introduction. he has a long and storied record of commitment to a human rights and democracy. the congressman was a leader to end the ethnic cleansing in kosovo. he works to end child labor throughout west asia. and he has supported democratic aspirations of the people of the

middle east. the congressman has also been committed to standing up to the regime. in 2003 when not many here in washington were talking about the a son regime or syria the congressman authored the syria and accountability 70 restoration act which imposed penalties and restrictions on the government aimed at forcing their withdrawal from lebanon. over the past three years of conflict congressman endo has never shied away from taking their responsibility of the united states to protect the people of syria. or call upon the president to do more every time. in 2013 the congressman introduced to the free syria act and the house of representatives. the aim of which was to substantially increase the net states support of the humanitarian and military needs of the syrian people.

we are also thrilled to announce that this week congressman dingell, the ranking member and the house affairs committee and chairman ed royce made clear that they will be introducing new legislation to address the humanitarian needs of the syrian people and hold the putin regime accountable. as a result of the congressman's steadfast commitment to democratic aspirations of the syrian people as well as the people around the world the coalition for democratic syria would like to present congressman angle with a token of gratitude. and i just want to mention, we are honored that as congressman endo is with us here tonight the chairman and constituents talking about this bill. so please join me in welcoming a true friend of the syrian people . [applause]

>> thank you. thank you. well, thank you. thank you very much for that really nice welcome. good afternoon to all of you. one day we're going to meet together in a free and independent syria. [applause] just yesterday congressman royce, the chairman of the foreign affairs committee and i am the ranking member, he is a republican. i'm a democrat. we are together for free and independent syria. we introduced this bill. i just want to read you the title of the bill. the bill says a resolution calling for an end to attacks on syrian civilian and expand its

humanitarian access. and we hope to get strong bipartisan support for it. back in 2003 we were looking at the assad -- you know, when the father ruled syria with an iron fist and finally he was gone and the sun came and many of us thought that maybe things would change a little bit for the better. after all, he was less than educated than people thought it was not as autocratic, would not be as autocratic as father was. unfortunately what has turned out as he is worse than his father. not only because he can't stand on his own 2 feet and as thugs all-around backing him up, but he can't seem to make a decision , and he can certainly never make the right decision. the truth of the matter is he would not be the ruler of even part of syria today unfortunately if it was not for

the russians and the iranians backing hezbollah who back sam and all these outside forces coming into syria deport the will of the syrian people. i'm here to tell you that that will not stand. [applause] now and 2003-2004 when i wrote the freak syriacs i said right then there that the united states congress, the united states government would have to take a strong stand. people said to me, you can never pass the bill. you're a democrat. we have a republican president. a republican majority in congress, republican majority in the senate. you never be able to get that passed. took me two years. i went person to person to person. by the time we're ready to vote on the bill we had more than half of the senate and more than half of the house of representatives on the bill. we passed the bill.

it was signed into a fact, and that is part of the basis for the sanctions that the united states has slapped on the gasol regime. about a year-and-a-half ago i saw that the free syrian army was foundering and could not get the help it deserves i authored a bill to call in the united states farm where a free syrian army. i really believe that if we had passed that bill, which it didn't, it would be -- things would be different now. we would have the three syrian army much stronger and would establish what they need. after all, they were acting and continue to act as patriots for the country. they continue -- they want a change of government in syria for my not to be replaced by a government that is just as

better even worse, but to be replaced by a democracy so that the syrian people can decide for themselves what kind of leaders they should have. this should be something for the syrian leaders to decide, not for the wrong, assad, not for hezbollah, not for anyone that one step toward the syrian people. this must be done by the syrian people freely and fairly. [applause] so i want to just make a pledge to you that i am going to continue to be a very strong voice on the foreign affairs committee in congress to talk about the syrian people. i had the honor about three weeks ago of sitting down with king abdallah of jordan who spoke to me about the terrible humanitarian crisis right now in jordan. and it only gets worse and worse mr. ward is a hero.

the ngo is a hero. american aid is feeding a lot of people in syria. a lot of people don't even realize it. it is not enough in my opinion to just gives humanitarian aid, although that is important because we need to keep it alive what is also important is taking plans for the next step so that syria can be truly independent and free and believe me it will come. it will absolutely, because oppression will not and should not be allowed to stand. [applause] so i just want to make a place to you this afternoon to tell you that there are many people like myself who will not abandon the syrian people, who will continue to speak out and act out and talk about it. you know, when you take a regime that uses starvations as a tool

of war, that uses barrell bonds were all kinds of people get nails and things in them as a tool of were the stars children as a tool for, that does all kinds of things to people who are just innocents caught in the middle and not political people, just people that want to live their everyday lives like a decent human beings the way we'll want to live lives, to raise our children in safety. we are not going to abandon those people. [applause] [applause] >> thank you. [inaudible]

[inaudible] [applause] [chanting] >> thank you. >> let me just finish. these people are yelling in no-fly zone. i am for a no-fly zone. [applause]

>> tonight on c-span2 book tv of look at technology and privacy. we will start at what eric schmidt and shared calendar and there but the new digital age. and pulitzer prize-winning journalist on her book. later cyber security. what everyone needs no. no their vision of the future. this event in mountain view, california earlier this month. >> thank you. well, it is really exciting to be back that the computer history museums with my good friend and colleague and my friend