UN: Those responsible for starving Madaya must 'be held accountable'

All sides responsible for starving the Syrian people must ‘be held accountable’ no matter who they are, UN spokesperson said yesterday.

Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for the Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, said: “It is clear that the intentional starvation of people through blockades, barricades, siege could very well constitute a war crime.”

“All those who have committed crimes, war crimes or crimes…, grave violations of international law will have to be held accountable.”

“I think we’ve seen the very important work done by the Human Rights Commission of Inquiry on Syria, which has gathered information, and the time of accountability will come.”

The UN Human Rights Council set up an international investigation committee on 22 August 2011 to look into violations in Syria.

Dujarric added: “We need to keep the focus on the more than 4.5 million Syrians who are living in either hard-to-reach or besieged towns and the 400,000 who are living in Deir Ez-Zor, Daraya, Foah and Kafraya.”

Syrians living in Madaya have been living under a strict siege for seven months after the Assad regime prevented humanitarian aid from entering the town. People have been forced to eat grass and cats to survive.

Also read:

• OIC launches urgent appeal to end siege on Madaya and Taiz.
• Opposition coalition demands US relief for besieged Syrians.
• Syrians in Turkey protest against Madaya siege.