The Secretary-General of the UN,particularly concerned by the recent escalation of violence in the north-west “, asked the “immediate cessation of hostilities“, his representative said.
«All sides must make every effort to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, as well as allow the safe passage of civilians fleeing areas of hostilitiesStephane Dujarric added.
«Syrians have been enduring this conflict for almost 14 years. They deserve a political horizon that will lead them to a peaceful future, not more bloodshed“, he emphasized.
For the first time since the start of the civil war in 2011, , of Syria’s second largest city. This is a painful development brought about by a coalition of rebel groups dominated by radical Islamists.
In response, Syrian and Russian warplanes bombed areas held by these groups in northwestern Syria’s Idlib province and neighboring Aleppo province. The fighting killed 15 civilians, including children, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
In these conditions of insecurity, the humanitarian operations of the UN and its partners had to be “largely suspended” in some areas of Aleppo, Idlib and Hama, Stephane Dujarric explained. He also noted the impossibility of access mainly to the warehouses, where the humanitarian aid is kept.
«This has caused serious problems in the population’s access to vital aid“, he added, stating that the UN is determined to remain on the ground to fulfill their humanitarian mission.
Great concern from the UN also about the deterioration of the health situation, mainly “due to the presence of unburied corpses and the lack of drinking water».
The situation in Syria
Syria is already plagued by one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with 16.7 million people in need of humanitarian assistance and 7 million displaced, Dujarric recalled.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) announced today that at least 44 civilians, including 12 children and seven women, were killed in northwestern Syria between November 26 and December 1. OCHA added that more than 48,500 people are displaced, with basic infrastructure including hospitals, schools and water stations severely damaged in the escalating hostilities between Syrian rebels and government forces.
