United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has again appealed to all parties in Syrian conflict to immediately end the ongoing armed violence in order to prevent further bloodletting.
It has been estimated that two million people have been affected by the ongoing conflict in that middle eastern Arab nation.
”More fighting is not the answer. Further, militarization of this conflict will only perpetuate the devastation and prolong the suffering. A sectarian civil war would also gravely imperil Syria’s neighbours,” the UN chief told reporters yesterday in New York.
He termed as ”tragic and intolerable” the situation in Syria and said it was on his mind during his just-concluded visits to China, South-Eastern Europe and London, where he met with the Joint Special Envoy for the UN and the League of Arab States for the Syrian crisis, Kofi Annan.
The former UN chief is working for a peaceful resolution to the conflict, but he needs the international community’s solid backing in order to succeed, Ban said. The UN chief pointed out that Damascus is adding to its ”brutal crackdown” by attacking heavily populated areas with fighter aircraft and helicopters. He noted that the armed opposition groups have escalated their attacks.
He said, ”Each day, as the violence spirals, more Syrians are killed, injured, tortured or forced to flee their homes or their country.”
Ban expressed concern about the impact of shelling and use of other heavy weapons on civilians in various locations across Syria, particularly in the city of Aleppo, where violence in the recent days has already caused a large number of civilians to flee their homes. ”We are continuously assessing the situation and our options,” said Mr Ban.
”We have also intensified our humanitarian operations. As many as two million people are affected by violence. The only solution is a Syrian-led transition that meets the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people.”
Mr Annan’s six-point urges an end to violence, access for humanitarian agencies to provide relief to those in need, freedom to detainees, the start of inclusive political dialogue, and unrestricted access to the country for the international news media.
Ban said, ”I call on all sides to take immediate steps to meet the Security Council requirements, and give Syria the chance it needs to move beyond the violence and onto the path of peace.”
The Security Council, the 15-member powerful UN body on which India is currently a non-permanent member, has been deadlocked with Moscow and Beijing vetoes of Western and Arab attempts to impose sanctions on the Assad government.
–UNI–