The Syrian Coalition urges the UN to take urgent action to improve humanitarian access in Syria

Media Statement

Syrian Coalition Office to the United Nations

New York, NY

July 16, 2013

The Syrian Coalition is deeply concerned with the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in Syria and the inability of the United Nations Security Council to improve humanitarian access to alleviate the widespread suffering of Syria’s civilian population.

During today’s UN Security Council debate on Syria, senior UN officials described the worsening conditions in Syria where 2.8 million Syrians are without access to urgently needed humanitarian assistance. Half of those most in need are children. Confronted by this crisis as many as 5,000 Syrians are now dying every month, many of them civilians.

Over the past two years, the Syrian regime has repeatedly demonstrated its basic disregard for human life and dignity. Its policy of denying access to humanitarian agencies and human rights monitors has prevented the alleviation of the suffering of the most vulnerable communities in Syria. In the cities of Homs, al-Qusayr and the district of al-Qaboun, thousands of Syrians have been trapped by regime forces for months without access to food, safe drinking water, or urgently needed medical care.

The UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Valerie Amos, has repeatedly urged the Security Council to ensure that the Syrian regime allows access to all population centres so that vital humanitarian care can be delivered to Syria’s most vulnerable groups.

“The UN must overcome its internal divisions and reach agreement on the basic need to stop the widespread human suffering in Syria and act to put further pressure on the Syrian regime to improve humanitarian access.” said Dr. Najib Ghadbian, Special Representative of the Syrian Coalition to the UN.

The Coalition urges the Security Council to live up to its Charter responsibilities and do everything in its power to ensure that the pressing humanitarian needs of Syria’s vulnerable populations are met.