UNSC calls for Syrians to end violence, allow aids delivery

UN Security Council (UNSC) in a statement called on Friday for all the Syrian parties to “immediately” end all forms of violence and reiterated that they “immediately” allow humanitarian aid.

“The Security Council demands that all parties to the Syrian domestic conflict immediately put an end to all forms of violence,” the statement said.

It put more blame on the Syrian regime, calling it, in addition to the other parties, to “comply with their applicable obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law and respect human rights.”

According to the statement, UNSC reiterated its demand that the Syrian parties in the conflict “fully and immediately” implement previous UNSC provisions “particularly through facilitating the expansion of humanitarian relief operations, and the immediate delivery of humanitarian assistance.”

UNSC noted that it was “alarmed that the Syrian crisis has become the largest humanitarian emergency crisis in the world today, threatening peace and security in the region.”

During the Friday meeting, speakers highlighted the “depth of the humanitarian crisis in the region as the conflict continued in its fifth year, with more than 220,000 killed, 7.6 million displaced, over a million injured and nearly 4 million people seeking refuge in neighbouring countries.”

Turkish representative Halit Çevik affirmed the extent of the suffering in Syria and the burden it was placing on his country.

He said that his country “had maintained an open-border policy and complied with the principle of non-refoulement.”

He added: “More than 1.7 million Syrians were now living in Turkey. Over 256,000 were registered in 25 shelters; all their needs were provided by the Turkish Government.”

The UNSC stressed on the importance of “coordinated international support to the neighbouring countries hosting Syrian refugees, at their request, in addressing legitimate security concerns and ensuring the safety and security of host communities and refugees.”

According to the statement, the UNSC appreciated “the significant and admirable efforts” that have been made by a number of the countries in the region.