UN Aid Chief Calls for Greater Access to Syria
July 28, 2015United Nations aid chief Stephen O’Brien said Tuesday he hoped to secure better humanitarian access to Syrians most in need during his maiden visit to Damascus next month.
Speaking to the UN Security Council, he expressed hope that the visit “will provide an opportunity to constructively engage with the government to address some of the significant access challenges that seriously impede humanitarian operations,” AFP reported.
“Carving out space to meet the humanitarian needs of Syria’s people is today’s imperative,” said the former British MP, who replaced Valerie Amos at the end of May.
He told journalists after his appearance before the Council that the details of his visit had not yet been finalized, but that he hoped to be able to go to Homs in western Syria.
O’Brien described the level of suffering for most Syrian civilians as “gargantuan,” with 12.2 million in need of humanitarian assistance.
The United Nations estimates that around 220,000 people have been killed since the conflict began in March 2011.
O’Brien said more than one million people have been displaced so far this year, many for a second or third time, on top of 7.6 million displaced inside Syria at the end of 2014.
This month, the number of registered Syrian refugees reached four million, the largest refugee population from a single conflict around the world in more than a quarter century.
“We must have rapid, sustainable access to deliver essential humanitarian items to all people in need, in all parts of the country, without delay or hindrance,” O’Brien said, according to AFP.
He singled out attacks on medical facilities for particular condemnation, saying there had been 14 such assaults recorded in June, 12 of them airstrikes.
O’Brien also urged donors to step up their financial support for UN humanitarian efforts, saying the response plan for the conflict is only 27 percent funded.
At the same time, however, he acknowledged there were “no humanitarian solutions to this crisis.”
“A political solution is more urgent than ever to end this futile, hopeless cycle of brutality and violence,” O’Brien said.
UN special envoy Staffan de Mistura is due to address the UN Security Council on Wednesday about monthslong consultations with parties to the conflict on relaunching peace talks.
De Mistura originally planned a ceasefire in Aleppo, and had said that the Syrian regime is willing to suspend its aerial bombardment of Aleppo for six weeks to allow for a localized humanitarian ceasefire.
The rebels in Aleppo later rejected the proposal, likely due to de Mistura’s earlier comments in which he said Assad was as “part of the solution” to the conflict in Syria.
After his plan for a freeze in fighting in the city of Aleppo failed, de Mistura on May 5 launched a series of consultations with various parties and regional players including Iran to try to kickstart a political process.
He recently visited Syria and met with President Bashar Al-Assad. Upon the conclusion of his visit, de Mistura condemned the deaths of civilians in both government and rebel fire.
Similar posts
-
Israel Has The Most Moral Military In The World
April 10, 2024In the heart of a region often riddled with conflict, Israel stands out not only for its technologi...
-
The Resilience of the Israeli People
April 2, 2024Visitors from around the world have seen Hamas's October 7th Massacre's destruction in southern Isr...
-
Israel: Small Size, Big Impact
March 21, 2024Nestled along the eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea, Israel is a land of immense historical sig...
-
Israelis Are Fighting For Their Lives
February 21, 2024By Jonathan S. Tobin The world looks a lot different from Kibbutz Kfar Aza than it does in the U...
-
Over 2 Million Arabs Live In Israel
January 23, 2024In the complex landscape of the Middle East, where diverse cultures and identities intersect, Israe...
-
'Fauda' Star Idan Amedi Injured Fighting in Gaza
January 8, 2024Despite the severity of his injuries, Amedi's father assured Israeli news channels that his life is...
-
Israel Is A Great Country To Live In
December 28, 2023Nestled at the crossroads of the Middle East, Israel stands as a vibrant and dynamic nation, offeri...
-
Women's Empowerment in Israel
December 15, 2023In recent decades, Israel has witnessed a remarkable evolution in the status and empowerment of wom...