SYRIA; Congressional Record Vol. 160, No. 10

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SYRIA

(Ms. LEE of California asked and was given permission to address the

House for 1 minute.)

Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Speaker, as one of two congressional

representatives to the United Nations, I rise to recognize and talk

about the continued human suffering in Syria.

According to the United Nations, there are over 2 million registered

refugees from Syria, including 1.4 million children. Last September,

the United Nations Security Council urged Syria to take immediate steps

to grant aid organizations full access to conduct relief operations.

Yet, today, there are reports that the government continues to block

aid to victims desperately in need of relief, causing needless hunger

and suffering among Syria's civilian populations. These actions are not

just an offense against our conscience; they are also offenses against

international law and United Nations' obligations.

As world leaders gather next week in pursuit of a political solution,

we must hold all parties to the Syrian conflict accountable and find a

negotiated settlement to ending this crisis once and for all through

the hard work of diplomacy.

I am proud that the United States is the leading donor of

humanitarian aid, and I am pleased that the omnibus bill we passed

yesterday included increased funding to support our ongoing

humanitarian response.

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