UNSC calls on Syria to allow humanitarian access

UN Security Council Thursday called on?the Syrian authorities to allow "immediate, full and unimpeded" humanitarian access to all Syrians in need of assistance.

Syrian women and children escape from their homes after Syrian Army tanks attacked Syrian city of Idlib, Feb. 14, 2012. [Xinhua]

The Security Council urged the Syrian authorities to "allow immediate, full and unimpeded access of humanitarian personnel to all populations in need of assistance, in accordance with international law and guiding principles of humanitarian assistance," said?a press statement, read out by British Ambassador to the UN Mark Lyall Grant, whose country holds this month's Security Council presidency.

The 15-member council said they were deeply disappointed that Valerie Amos, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, was not granted authorization to visit Syria.

The statement called on?the Syrian authorities to grant her "immediate and unhindered access."

Amos has been attempting to enter Syria?at the request of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who asked her to visit the country and evaluate the humanitarian situation there.

On Wednesday, Amos said she was "deeply disappointed" that she has not yet been able to visit Syria to assess the humanitarian situation and meet with some of the country's top officials.

The council also called upon all parties in Syria to cooperate fully with the United Nations and relevant humanitarian organizations to facilitate the provision of humanitarian assistance and allow evacuation of the wounded from affected areas,?according to the statement.

In the press statement, the council deplored "the rapidly deteriorating" humanitarian situation, in particular the growing number of affected civilians, the lack of safe access to adequate medical services, and food shortages, particularly in areas affected by fighting and violence such as Homs, Hama, Deraa, Idlib.

Last week the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) also called on the Syrian authorities and all others involved in the ongoing violence to implement a daily cessation of fighting for at least two hours, in all areas affected, to allow the prompt delivery of humanitarian assistance.

"The current situation requires an immediate decision to implement a humanitarian pause in the fighting," said Jakob Kellenberger, the president of the ICRC, in a written statement.

''Over the past few days, we have been in contact with the Syrian authorities and members of the opposition to request this halt in the fighting," he added.

"It should last at least two hours every day, so that ICRC staff and Syrian Arab Red Crescent volunteers have enough time to deliver aid and evacuate the wounded and the sick.''

Since the unrest broke out in Syria last March, the number of casualties in the conflict has been rising steadily amid unrelenting clashes and fights between government forces and opposition fighters.

The United Nations recently put the death toll in the Syrian unrest at 6,000, while Damascus says that more than 2,000 army and security personnel have been killed during the 11-months turmoil and blamed the bloodshed on armed groups backed by foreign powers.