The humanitarian pledging conference for Syria should increase aid

Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Tuesday urged participants in the second Kuwait Pledging Conference for Syria, scheduled to open tomorrow, to press the Syrian government to eliminate obstacles against effective aid distribution, and increase their aid contributions. "We desperately need additional funding for humanitarian aid to Syria," said Peggy Hicks, HRW global advocacy director. "But donors should keep in mind that the human cost of this crisis has been increased exponentially by Syria's policy of deliberately obstructing aid." HRW recalled the Security Council presidential statement which called on all parties and "in particular the Syrian authorities," to promptly facilitate safe and unhindered access to those in need "through the most effective ways, including across conflict lines and where appropriate, across borders from neighboring countries." Three months after that statement, it complained, Syrian authorities have implemented a "trickle of measures, including addressing a large backlog of visa requests for humanitarian workers. But these have not included key changes such as allowing access into besieged towns, and consequently have had little impact in alleviating the ongoing crisis." It added, however, that while Syria has permitted some aid across borders from neighboring Iraq, Jordan, and Lebanon, it has steadfastly refused to allow aid in from Turkey to reach those in need in northern Syria, complaining that Damascus insists that route deliveries must make circuitous journeys as much as four times longer, and including dozens of checkpoints. It said government forces would not allow access into besieged areas or civilians to leave towns where an estimated 288,000 people are trapped with little or no aid, and 28 people had died in Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp. Armed opposition groups have also besieged an estimated 40,000 people in two Shia villages just north of the city of Aleppo, trapping civilians and restricting their access to humanitarian assistance. "Rather than congratulating Syria on taking small steps that are years overdue, donors should be demanding immediate access to besieged towns and supporting cross-border aid from Turkey," Hicks said. "Russia and Iran in particular should press Syria to eliminate obstacles to humanitarian aid." Hicks also urged the Council to adopt a binding resolution on aid and make clear that failure to abide by it will result in targeted sanctions, adding that under international humanitarian law, all parties to an armed conflict are obligated to facilitate rapid and unimpeded humanitarian assistance to all civilians in need. "Starvation as a method of warfare is prohibited." The UN is seeking USD 6.5 billion to help 6.5 million people displaced inside Syria and 2.3 million refugees in neighbouring and other states.