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Unanimously approved, Security Council resolution demands aid access
Unanimously approved, Security Council resolution demands aid access in =
Syria
UN New Center
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=3D47204&Cr=3DSyria&Cr1=3D#.Uwj=
fw5pWG00
22 February 2014 =96 The United Nations Security Council today unanimously =
approved a resolution to boost humanitarian aid access in Syria, a move =
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said can at least ease some civilian =
suffering, if it is implemented quickly and in good faith.
Through Resolution 2139 (2014), the Council demanded =93that all parties, i=
n =
particular the Syrian authorities, promptly allow rapid, safe and unhindere=
d =
humanitarian access for UN humanitarian agencies and their implementing =
partners, including across conflict lines and across borders.=94
The 15-member Council also called for an immediate end to all forms of =
violence in the country and strongly condemned the rise of Al =
Qaida-affiliated terror attacks.
Members insisted that all parties cease attacking civilians, including =
through the indiscriminate use of weapons in populated areas, such as =
shelling and aerial bombardment with barrel bombs, whose use has been =
condemned by senior UN officials.
Mr. Ban, who participated in the rare Saturday meeting, welcomed the =
resolution but added it =93should not have been necessary=94 as humanitaria=
n =
assistance is not something to be negotiated but allowed by virtue of =
international law.
He expressed profound shock that both sides are besieging civilians as a =
tactic of war, and noted that reports of human rights violations continue, =
including massacres, as well as sexual and gender-based violence against =
children.
In the resolution, the Council strongly condemned =93the widespread violati=
ons =
of human rights and international humanitarian law by the Syrian =
authorities=94 and urged all parties involved in the conflict to lift sieg=
es =
of populated areas, including in Aleppo, Damascus and Rural Damascus, and =
Homs.
The resolution builds on the Presidential Statement adopted four months ago=
, =
which stressed the need for immediate action to protect civilians and give =
access to people in need.
Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief =
Coordinator Valerie Amos said she hopes the passing of the resolution will =
facilitate delivery of aid. She underscored the importance of protecting =
ordinary people, who have been bearing the brunt of the violence in the =
country.
Earlier this month, Ms. Amos noted that despite =93modest=94 progress on th=
e =
humanitarian front, the UN and partners have not been able to reach the mos=
t =
vulnerable people in the country.
She underscored her plea to Council members to do everything they can to us=
e =
their influence over the parties to this appalling conflict, to ensure that =
they abide by humanitarian pauses and ceasefires, give humanitarian actors =
sustained and regular access, commit, in writing, to upholding internationa=
l =
humanitarian law, allow systematic cross-line access, and prevent UN relief =
teams from being shot at while delivering aid to people in need.
Well over 100,000 people have been killed and an estimated 9 million others =
driven from their homes since the conflict erupted between Syrian President =
Bashar al-Assad and various groups seeking his ouster nearly three years =
ago.
According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), there are currently more than =
2.4 million refugees registered in the region: some 932,000 in Lebanon; =
574,000 in Jordan; some 613,000 in Turkey; 223,000 in Iraq; and about =
134,000 in Egypt.
In today’s resolution, the Council emphasized that =93the humanitarian =
situation will continue to deteriorate in the absence of a political =
solution=94 and expressed support for the UN-sponsored direct talks between =
Government and opposition representatives.
At the end of the second round of talks last week, Lakhdar Brahimi, the =
UN-Arab League Joint Special Representative, expressed regret that =93only =
modest cooperation between the sides=94 was reached on humanitarian effort.=
He =
said the parties agreed to his proposal that a new round of talks would =
focus on violence and terrorism, a transitional governing body, national =
institutions and national reconciliation.
________________________________________
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