Unanimously approved, security council resolution demands aid access in Syria

The United Nations Security Council today unanimously approved a resolution to boost humanitarian aid access in Syria, a move Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said can at least ease some civilian suffering, if it is implemented quickly and in good faith. Through Resolution 2139 (2014), the Council demanded "that all parties, in particular the Syrian authorities, promptly allow rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access for UN humanitarian agencies and their implementing partners, including across conflict lines and across borders." The 15-member Council also called for an immediate end to all forms of violence in the country and strongly condemned the rise of Al Qaida-affiliated terror attacks. Members insisted that all parties cease attacking civilians, including through the indiscriminate use of weapons in populated areas, such as shelling and aerial bombardment with barrel bombs, whose use has been condemned by senior UN officials. Mr. Ban, who participated in the rare Saturday meeting, welcomed the resolution but added it "should not have been necessary" as humanitarian assistance is not something to be negotiated but allowed by virtue of international law. He expressed profound shock that both sides are besieging civilians as a tactic of war, and noted that reports of human rights violations continue, including massacres, as well as sexual and gender-based violence against children. In the resolution, the Council strongly condemned "the widespread violations of human rights and international humanitarian law by the Syrian authorities" and urged all parties involved in the conflict to lift sieges of populated areas, including in Aleppo, Damascus and Rural Damascus, and Homs. The resolution builds on the Presidential Statement adopted four months ago, which stressed the need for immediate action to protect civilians and give access to people in need. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos said she hopes the passing of the resolution will facilitate delivery of aid. She underscored the importance of protecting ordinary people, who have been bearing the brunt of the violence in the country. According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), there are currently more than 2.4 million refugees registered in the region: some 932,000 in Lebanon; 574,000 in Jordan; some 613,000 in Turkey; 223,000 in Iraq; and about 134,000 in Egypt. In today's resolution, the Council emphasized that "the humanitarian situation will continue to deteriorate in the absence of a political solution" and expressed support for the UN-sponsored direct talks between Government and opposition representatives.