UN Chief : Situation in Syria remains serious

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in a report to the Security Council that the situation in Syria “remains extremely serious” and UN efforts to end the political crisis in the country have seen only “small progress,” Al Arabiya reported. “There is a continuing crisis on the ground, characterized by regular violence, deteriorating humanitarian conditions, human rights violations and continued political confrontation,” said the report, obtained by Al Arabiya on Friday ahead of a UN Security Council meeting on Syria next week. Although the scale of violence has decreased compared to the period before April 12, when U.N.-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan six-point plan was implemented in the country, “the Syrian army has not ceased the use of, or pulled back their heavy weapons in many areas,” Ban said. At the same time, “significant parts of some cities appear to be under the de facto control of opposition elements,” he said. The UN chief called again on states not to arm either side in the conflict. According to unconfirmed reports by Syrian activists, more than 12,600 people have been killed in Syria since a revolt against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad started in March last year. The U.N. says up to 10,000 have been killed. The UN Security Council will discuss Ban's report and hear a briefing about the situation in Syria from Kofi Annan on Wednesday.