Syria: Senior UN relief officials 'appalled' by escalation of fighting; call for unconditional humanitarian access

In a statement yesterday, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Syria, Ali Al-Za'tari, and the Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis, Kevin Kennedy, underlined that the UN stands ready to assist civilians in the war-torn country, as soon as access is granted by all parties.

“[We have] shared with all parties to the conflict in Aleppo and Member States [of the UN] concerned, a detailed humanitarian plan to provide urgently needed assistance to the inhabitants of eastern Aleppo, and conduct medical evacuations for the ill and injured” said both Al-Za'tari and Kennedy.

“It is imperative [that] all parties agree to the plan and allow us to secure immediate, safe and unimpeded access to provide relief to those most in need in eastern Aleppo, but equally in all other parts of Syria where there are people in need,” they asserted.

According to the statement, hospitals in eastern Aleppo and a university in western Aleppo have been attacked recently, and mortars have been fired at residential neighborhoods of Damascus and several suburbs of the city have been subjected to counter-shelling.

“Syrian civilians on all sides of the divide are at the receiving end of the escalating violence,” read the statement.

Moreover, the besiegement of eastern Aleppo and the strong grip of non-state armed groups in that part of the city has resulted in a dire and urgent need of protection and humanitarian assistance, it added.

Highlighting that international humanitarian and human rights laws obligate all parties to the conflict to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure from the effects of hostilities, the senior UN humanitarian officials called on them to ensure unconditional, unimpeded and sustained access to the millions of people in need, particularly those in besieged and hard-to-reach areas across Syria.

Photo: UNICEF/M. Abdulaziz

Source: www.justearthnews.com