UN welcomes adoption of Syria aid resolution

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Security Council members and the Syrian opposition on Saturday welcomed the Council unanimous vote of a resolution demanding immediate UN humanitarian access to the besieged areas all over Syria.UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the Council following adoption of resolution 2139: "I very much welcome the adoption of this resolution -- If this resolution is implemented quickly and in good faith, at least some of the suffering can be eased." "This resolution should not have been necessary," he argued. "Humanitarian assistance is not something to be negotiated; it is something to be allowed by virtue of international law. Profoundly shocking to me is that both sides are besieging civilians as a tactic of war." He noted that some 200,000 people are under siege in government-controlled areas - and 45,000 in opposition-controlled areas, stressing that this resolution "highlights again the urgent need to end the conflict." UN Relief coordinator Valerie Amos expressed hope in a statement that the passing of the resolution "will facilitate the delivery of aid to people in desperate need in Syria. It is also vital that ordinary people, who have been bearing the brunt of the violence, are protected. "More than anything," she added, "the conflict needs to end so that people can begin to rebuild their lives. Syria is in danger of losing a generation of its children. Children are the future. We must protect them." Najib Ghadbian, the Syrian Coalition Representative to the UN, reacted to the vote saying it is a "modest but necessary first step towards addressing the dire humanitarian needs of the Syrian people." But at this point, he added, "it is only a text. It is crucial that the resolution is implemented immediately and in full. If the Syrian regime fails to fulfill its obligations rapidly, the Security Council must be ready to take further action to compel the regime to comply." And failing that, he added, "we urge responsible nations to work with humanitarian agencies to deliver aid directly across Syria's borders even without the consent of the regime. "The overwhelming humanitarian need and the strong international consensus to alleviate it provide all the legal justification that is required." Peggy Hicks of Human Rights Watch said in a statement that today's action is a political breakthrough, but "desperately hungry Syrians can't eat these words. They depend on this resolution being transformed into real changes on the ground." Syria's allies, particularly Russia and Iran, she added, "should ensure that the Syrian government gets the message and stops using starvation of civilians as a weapon of war. Countries supporting abusive opposition groups that have also blocked aid or kidnapped aid workers should press them to end such practices." "If we don't see real progress within a month, sanctions should be the next step," she urged.