UNITED NATIONS
The United Nations Security Council on Saturday unanimously adopted a resolution on cross-border humanitarian assistance and an end to shelling and aerial bombardments in the country.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the adoption of the resolution.
“This resolution should not have been necessary. Humanitarian assistance is not something to be negotiated...it is something to be allowed by the virtue of international law,” Ban said in his address to the council immediately after its adoption. He added that he was personally shocked to see both sides target civilians.
Ban said, “The Syrian Government and allied militias have been responsible for countless killings, disappearances, the horrendous use of barrel bombs and torture on a massive scale.”
Ban said this resolution highlights the urgent need to end the conflict as 200,000 people are under siege in government-controlled areas and 45,000 in opposition-controlled areas
“While the political process is ongoing, we will continue to do all we can to provide relief and protection to people in need.”
A coalition of 17 of the world’s leading humanitarian and human rights organizations welcomed the first UN Security Council Resolution on humanitarian access to Syria. The organizations, however, warned that the key test will be if all parties accept the will of the international community and allow the immediate lifting of ongoing sieges and the opening of borders to urgent humanitarian aid."
"Only then will a diplomatic breakthrough become a genuine humanitarian victory for the over nine million Syrians dependent on aid after nearly three years of conflict," a press statement said.
To be approved, the resolution must have nine "yes" votes out of 15, and no "no" votes from any of the five permanent members - the US, Russia, China, France and the UK.
Russia and China have vetoed three previous resolutions on Syria and their consent is considered key to U.N. action.
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expressed disappointment Thursday at the failure of the Geneva peace talks to reach a political solution to the conflict, and urged the international community to provide humanitarian assistance.
According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, more than 136,000 people have been killed since the beginning of the conflict in March 2011.
The U.N. ceased counting after 100,000 early January, due to verification issues.
The U.N. says more than 2.5 million people have sought refuge from the conflict in many different countries.
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