UN envoy: Syria truce should be revitalised before talks resume

United Nations envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura said the ceasefire in Syria should be revitalised before a new round of talks between the regime and the opposition resumes.

During a press conference on Wednesday, de Mistura called on the UN Security Council, the United States and Russia to revive the truce and hold a meeting for Syria support groups.

Remarking on the latest developments in the field, de Mistura said: “In the last 48 hours, we have had an average of one Syrian killed every 25 minutes; one Syrian wounded every 13 minutes.”

The third round of talks between the Syrian regime and the opposition concluded on Wednesday.

“What we need to do and to hear is that the cessation of hostilities is salvaged and … saved from a total collapse,” de Mistura said. “It’s still alive, but barely. And the perception is that it could collapse at any time.”

“We need that [the cessation of hostilities] to be urgently revitalized,” de Mistura said. “And only the Russian Federation and the United States … need to come back again and relaunch it.”

He called for access to be given for humanitarian aid to enter the besieged cities and towns.