Amos appeals to UNSC to help ease humanitarian crisis in Syria

There is no amount of words can adequately describe the horrific reality facing civilians in Syria today. The Member States of the United Nations have a responsibility to take the action necessary to uphold the principles and values of the UN Charter. We must not fail the men, women and children of Syria," she pleaded. Asked if a Council resolution would help her task, Amos said "we need action and implementation on the ground. If a resolution is going to enable that, then it would be helpful, but a resolution that does not actually lead to a change on the ground ... and does not make any difference, that takes us no further." "I think it is important that there are levers that make sure that the implementation of actions happens," she insisted, explaining that by levers, she meant "our ability to carry out our job." US Ambassador Samantha Power told reporters following the Council meeting that the international community is witnessing in Syria "the worst humanitarian crisis we have seen in a generation." She indicated that there are now 9.3 million Syrians in need of assistance, compared to 6.8 million last October, and 6.5 million internally displaced persons, compared to 4.25 million since then, adding that the Government indiscriminate shelling of civilian areas drove the death toll from 100,000 in October to currently over 136,000, with nearly 5,000 deaths since the Geneva-2 talks began in late January. "It is not enough for us to stand here and say there has been no progress, which there hasn't... The Security Council must consider additional ways to improve the humanitarian situation," she stressed. Given the Regime's deliberate denial of humanitarian access to innocent civilians in besieged communities, she argued, "it is clear the Security Council must take humanitarian action." This Council, she stressed, "must speak with a united voice demanding immediate, full humanitarian access to those in need, particularly in besieged areas and increased flows of assistance, including across borders." Asked whether the Western-Arab draft resolution under discussion in the Council on the humanitarian situation in Syria will be softened to allay Russian concerns, Power echoed Amos' statement. "Let me say this," Power insisted, "for us, given the gravity of the situation on the ground, better no resolution, than a bad resolution." "We are not interested in a resolution, for resolution's sake. As we intensify our discussions, we have to find text that we think maximizes the likelihood of meaningful difference on the ground: the kind of levers, the pressure, the enlistment of the full Council." she said. Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told reporters following the meeting that he has also circulated Russia's draft resolution on the humanitarian situation among the Council members to examine along with the Western-Arab draft. A diplomat said the Russian draft contains elements that Churkin wants to add to the Western-Arab draft, such as a stronger language on terrorism. Churkin said the two drafts are not that far apart. "For instance, we added some strong language on terrorism. And I think we have a good chance that our colleagues will accept (it) ... There are some things which they believe they need in the resolution; we are discussing it," he said. On the Western-Arab draft resolution, Churkin said "we appreciate their effort. But we think that the nature of this resolution is such that it might actually be harmful to the current efforts of the international humanitarian community and UN agencies to produce some positive results, in improving the humanitarian situation of the Syrian people." He did not say how. Asked if the Russian draft has some enforcement language, Churkin said "let's not talk about that. We're discussing it." Churkin also told reporters that he circulated among Council members a separate Presidential statement on terrorism in Syria. The draft on the humanitarian situation has priority, he noted