YouSaid · the spoken record

Kang

lines on the record: 108
first: 2014-10-30
most recent: 2018-09-27
sittings or episodes: 10
sources: un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“Since mid-March, the conflict has spread to 20 of Yemen's 22 governorates, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation brought on by years of poverty, poor governance and ongoing instability, and triggering a large-scale protection crisis. Since March, around 8 million people have lost reliable and safe access to drinking water. At least 1.8 million children have had to drop out of classes, adding to the 1.6 million who were already out of school before the crisis began. The conflict has had a widespread impact on the whole array of social infrastructure, including markets and road networks. That, combined with import restrictions, has crippled the economy and amplified the vulnerability of the civilian population, including their ability to procure food. Institutions that provide basic services in Yemen are unravelling.”
2015-12-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7596 (2015) · source
“Ms. Kang: I thank you, Madam President, for this opportunity to brief the Security Council on the latest developments in Yemen on behalf of the Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mr. Stephen O'Brien. The conditions today for the people inside Yemen are appalling. Around 7.6 million people now require emergency food assistance to survive. At least 2 million people are malnourished, including 320,000 children, who suffer from severe malnutrition, which represents a two-fold increase since March. There can be little doubt that the serious deterioration in the humanitarian situation has been caused by the current conflict in Yemen.”
2015-12-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7596 (2015) · source
“The Government of Nigeria has stated its willingness and ability to shoulder a significant portion of the operational and financing needs to respond to the crisis. However, support from the international community is also needed to help respond to the urgent humanitarian situation in north- east Nigeria. An international humanitarian presence is needed to advise and help coordinate a complex and fast-moving operation and support the provision of the necessary protection measures for the civilians caught up in the conflict.”
2015-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7421 (2015) · source
“In addition, the Task Force should not be involved in facilitating the returns of refugees and internally displaced persons, which must be carried out on a voluntary basis in line with international humanitarian law and the Kampala Convention, to which Nigeria is a party. The humanitarian situation in north-east Nigeria and the conflict-affected areas in neigbouring countries remains dire. The conflict continues to have a devastating impact on women, children and young people, as well as on many others who have been traumatized by violence. Additional funding to address the acute humanitarian needs of those affected by the conflict is urgently needed. So far, local organizations and communities have carried the weight of this response.”
2015-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7421 (2015) · source
“In the light of the current discussion in the Security Council, it is critical that the Multinational Joint Task Force, as a counter- terrorism force, limit its focus to creating conducive security conditions and an enabling environment for non-military-related interventions, while adhering to international humanitarian law and taking all precautions to avoid civilian casualties. As the Task Force is a de facto party in conflict, I ask Council members to ensure that its operations remain distinct from civilian-led humanitarian operations. Maintaining distinction between the two is crucial in order to safeguard the actual and perceived neutrality and independence of humanitarian organizations.”
2015-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7421 (2015) · source
“In north-eastern Nigeria, an estimated 4.6 million people are currently suffering from food insecurity, and 100,000 children are at risk of severe malnutrition. The Boko Haram crisis is likely to have a broader impact on the Sahel region, since Nigeria traditionally produces almost half the region's cereals. On 15 March, the Emergency Relief Coordinator approved $28 million from the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund to address the regional humanitarian impact of Boko Haram. We hope that more support from the international community will follow in order to enable humanitarian actors to continue to reach those in need with lifesaving assistance. The humanitarian community welcomes the regional political commitment to tackle the ongoing violence in the north-east.”
2015-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7421 (2015) · source
“The three Governments have requested international assistance to respond to the most pressing needs, which include protection, food assistance, water, non-food items, health and shelter. The massive displacement caused by Boko Haram cross-border incursions is placing immense strain on the already depleted resources of host communities, which in some areas are as vulnerable as the displaced themselves. Food is more difficult to find in the market, and in some instances prices have doubled or tripled. In Diffa at the end of 2014, almost a quarter of children aged between 6 and 23 months were suffering from global acute malnutrition. In Chad, more than 30 per cent of those in host communities were food insecure in 2014.”
2015-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7421 (2015) · source
“According to the Office ofthe United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, as of 25 March some 74,000 refugees had sought refuge in the far north of Cameroon. Boko Haram cross- border attacks from Nigeria into Cameroon have also triggered the internal displacement of between 100,000 and 150,000 Cameroonians. In the Niger, 50,000 people have been internally displaced, adding to the 100,000 Nigerian refugees and Nigerien returnees who have sought refuge in the Diffa region of the Niger since May 2014. In Chad, the Boko Haram incursion has resulted in some 33,000 refugees and returnees, as well as 14,500 IDPs, seeking refuge around Lake Chad. In the three affected countries, insecurity and logistical challenges have impeded access, which, in addition to significant funding shortfalls, is preventing a scaled-up humanitarian response.”
2015-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7421 (2015) · source
“In addition, accurate and reliable humanitarian data and effective monitoring systems are needed for informed humanitarian planning, effective advocacy and sustained donor support. From 9 to 12 March, 12 emergency directors of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee visited Nigeria to assess the humanitarian situation and identify potential solutions for addressing the current challenges in north-east Nigeria. As a result of their visit, a three-month inter-agency action plan is being developed to support the scaling up of critical protection and lifesaving response efforts and the humanitarian presence in conflict-affected areas in the North-east. The expansion ofBoko Haram's activities is having a significant regional impact.”
2015-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7421 (2015) · source
“In support of the national and state-level emergency management agencies' efforts, those humanitarian partners have undertaken emergency protection programmes that include providing psychological first aid and psychosocial support and registration and support for unaccompanied children, as well as other lifesaving activities in the areas of water, sanitation, health and food distribution. Those programmes, however, are limited in scope, since they mainly target IDPs registered in the Government- run camps. In addition to insecurity, a lack of donor support is constraining the expansion of the humanitarian footprint. Humanitarian partners are ready to do more and to scale up their efforts. If they are to do so, donor engagement and continued financial support are critical.”
2015-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7421 (2015) · source
“The plight of civilians stranded or hiding in areas that humanitarian organizations are currently unable to reach is very worrying, especially those in areas still under the control of Boko Haram. As many as 3 million people in northern Nigeria will not be able to meet their basic food needs after July 2015 unless they receive well-targeted humanitarian assistance. While the federal and state authorities have worked hard to provide assistance to many of those fleeing the violence, the overall humanitarian response in north-eastern Nigeria remains poor and fragmented. Only nine operational partners, mostly international non-governmental organizations, are currently active in the three states most affected.”
2015-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7421 (2015) · source
“Gross human rights violations, including sexual and gender-based violence and child trafficking, are frequently reported. The escalation of Boko Haram-related violence in the region continues to hinder access to people in desperate need of humanitarian assistance and is limiting the scope of our response. An overwhelming majority of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) reside within host communities and in camp-like conditions, clustered around schools, churches and mosques. According to the International Organization for Migration, only 10 per cent ofthe more than 1 million IDPs are in identified and accessible Government-run IDP camps in urban areas. Minimum humanitarian standards for shelter, food, water, sanitation, health and education are not being met in the camps, due to a lack of camp-management and protection capacity.”
2015-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7421 (2015) · source
“Since a state of emergency was declared in May 2013, the ongoing violent conflict in north-eastern Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin has forcibly displaced at least 1.5 million people in Nigeria and its neighbours. Boko Haram escalated its campaign throughout 2014, and communities in northern Nigeria have increasingly been caught in the crossfire between the insurgents and the national army. The conflict has caused death and injury on a large scale and destroyed homes and infrastructure. Since the beginning of 2014, Boko Haram has killed more than 7,300 civilians in the three state-of-emergency states. This year alone 1,000 people lost their lives. More than 300 schools have been severely damaged or destroyed. Less than 40 per cent of the health facilities in the affected areas remain operational.”
2015-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7421 (2015) · source
“Ms. Kang: I would like to thank you, Mr. President, for this opportunity to brief the Council on the humanitarian impact of Boko Haram atrocities in northern Nigeria and neighbouring countries. On behalf of the Under-Secretary-General and Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos, I would like to deliver the following statement. Despite several reports of suspected Boko Haram attacks in Yobe, Gombe and Bomo states, I can report that no additional humanitarian needs have so far emerged as a result of the election. We will continue to closely monitor the situation on the ground as the likelihood of electoral violence around the announcement of the results will remain high.”
2015-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7421 (2015) · source
“We need high-level representation at that conference and meaningful pledges that will make a difference on the ground. We look to the members of the Security Council to show leadership to end the barbaric and brutal warfare in Syria. We are running out of words to describe the terrible human and humanitarian consequences.”
2015-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7394 (2015) · source
“For every $1 million the WHO cannot raise in Syria, some 227,000 people lose vital health services, and unless urgent funding is received before May 2015, a million children who are out of school will not be able to have access to alternative education options. Malnutrition programmes for up to a million children will have to be halted or reduced. The humanitarian community has come together to bring all operations in Syria - cross-line and cross- border - under one single response plan for 2015. This will enable better identification of needs to allow for a more effective response. But in order for it to work, we need the resources. Kuwait has generously agreed to host a third pledging conference for Syrians in need on 31 March.”
2015-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7394 (2015) · source
“We call upon the Government of Syria to reverse its decision so that we are able to continue our life-saving work for all Syrians in need. In addition to the many operational constraints we face, including insecurity and interference by the parties to the conflict, our response cannot keep up with the needs of Syria's people because we do not have enough funding. By the end of last year, the Syria Humanitarian Assistance Response Plan for 2014 was just 48 per cent funded. We cannot afford the dire consequences of failing to meet those needs. We can do more, if we have more money to do so. Lack of funding has already forced the World Food Programme to reduce food rations by 30 per cent. In the longer term, if we do not receive what we need, we will only be able to provide food to the extremely vulnerable.”
2015-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7394 (2015) · source
“Our plans include the provision of emergency food and other supplies and the rehabilitation of basic services, including electricity and waste management, removal of debris, getting children back into school, and repairing and renovating damaged homes. Humanitarian agencies are already delivering assistance in Aleppo but much more needs to be done. The United Nations will make use of any additional opportunities, including through the freeze, to expand humanitarian access. However, we are extremely concerned that two staff members of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, doing essential work with opposition parties on the ground to secure access for the delivery of urgently needed humanitarian supplies, have been asked to leave the country without any reason given. This will hinder our work tremendously.”
2015-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7394 (2015) · source
“Some 950,000 people have been reached with food, 880,000 with critical household items, 340,000 with water and sanitation, and nearly 470,000 with medical supplies. This complements and is in addition to the existing non-governmental organization programmes that again reached over a million people last month. But it is not enough. More effort must be made to de-escalate the violence, protect people and enable humanitarian organizations to give greater support. We are encouraged by the efforts made by the Secretary-General's Special Envoy, Staffan de Mistura, to secure a freeze in fighting in some parts of Aleppo. In hopes that the freeze will materialize, humanitarian agencies have developed plans to scale up aid deliveries throughout the eastern part of Aleppo City.”
2015-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7394 (2015) · source
“The Council must do everything in its power to hold the parties accountable and achieve the aforementioned changes. Resolution 2139 (2014) is extensive in its scope, and the Council's concerns and recommendations, as set out in the resolution, must be respected. Humanitarian organizations operating from within Syria and from neighbouring countries continue to reach millions of people in need month after month. Last month, some 3.4 million people were reached with food assistance while hundreds of thousands were also reached with medicines, household items and other supplies. Cross-border shipments by the United Nations and partners have increased since the adoption of resolution 2165 (2014).”
2015-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7394 (2015) · source
“This follows a previous refusal to allow medical supplies into Al-Wa'er in November. Every month we report on the same violations; the numbers change but the pattern remains the same. The parties to the conflict continue to act with impunity, killing and abducting civilians, denying access and removing vital supplies from convoys. This pattern must be broken. Specifically, the siege that currently affects 212,000 people must be lifted. We must ensure that everyone in all parts of Syria has access to medical supplies, including surgical supplies. The use of blockades of humanitarian aid and of basic services, including water and electricity, must stop, as must the indiscriminate attacks on civilians, including through barrel bombs, which have come to characterize this conflict.”
2015-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7394 (2015) · source
“On 23 February, a car bomb reportedly killed at least four civilians in the parking area of a hospital in Qardaha, Latakia governorate. There are continued challenges to the provision of medical supplies, in particular surgical items. However, in one development, the World Health Organization (WHO) succeeded in sending life-saving medicine and medical supplies this week from Damascus to hospitals and public health centres in the eastern part of Aleppo city and rural Aleppo, for approximately 60,500 medical treatments. At the same time, WHO surgical items, UNICEF midwifery and diarrhoea kits, and United Nations Population Fund reproductive health kits were removed by Government security personnel from an inter-agency convoy travelling to Al-Wa'er, in Horns governorate.”
2015-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7394 (2015) · source
“The requests to deliver assistance to people in east Ghouta, which were mentioned in our previous statement to the Council (see S/PV.7369), were denied by the Government - nor could we deliver to the towns of Nubul or Zahraa, which have been besieged by opposition forces since May 2014. In Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor, the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant has closed down the offices of several organizations, including the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, a key implementing partner. Some 600,000 people have not received food assistance in those governorates since December 2014. The sick or wounded often have nowhere safe to get treatment. According to Physicians for Human Rights, there were four attacks on medical facilities in January, and five medical staff were killed.”
2015-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7394 (2015) · source
“The parties to the conflict continue to kill civilians and target civilians and civilian infrastructure, including vital public services such as water and electricity, in blatant disregard of resolution 2139 (2014) and international humanitarian law, condemning people to further unnecessary suffering. Over 2 million people in Aleppo and Dar'a governorates have been affected by the wilful denial of water and electricity by parties to the conflict this month. Of the 212,000 people who are besieged in conditions that deteriorate every day, only 304 were reached with food in January. Those 304 were in Yarmouk, where 18,000 people are in desperate need. In the other besieged locations, the parties continued to restrict access severely.”
2015-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7394 (2015) · source
“Ms. Kang: On behalf of Under-Secretary-General and Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos, I would like to deliver the following statement. As Syria enters its fifth year of conflict, violence and brutality continue unabated and with total impunity. The indiscriminate use of explosive weapons in populated areas by all parties claimed more lives this month and displaced thousands. Government aerial bombardments, including the use of barrel bombs, and attacks by armed opposition groups have intensified in many areas, including Aleppo, Dar'a and rural Damascus.”
2015-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7394 (2015) · source
“The efforts of humanitarian workers and peacekeepers are no substitute for timely and resolute political action to prevent and resolve conflict. And women must be full participants in the process. On the ground, we need to be more attuned to the specific threats that civilians are facing and the risk of escalation of violence and violations, often manifested through heightened discrimination and repression of minorities, including women and girls. When we see early warning signs, we must be able to act quickly and effectively. That is at the core of the Secretary-General's Human Rights Up Front initiative.”
2015-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7374 (2015) · source
“Yet, time and again, we see parties to conflict violating those basic obligations with impunity, with grave consequences for civilians. Parties to conflict must be pressed to do more to comply with their legal obligations and ensure accountability whenever such obligations are violated. But the responsibility does not lie solely with the parties themselves. The Security Council and the international community must take steps to tackle the impunity that continues to fuel many conflicts, as well as the endless flow of weapons and arms. There is nothing that emboldens violators more than knowing that they will not be brought to account for the crimes they have committed. We also need to build up our collective capacity to find political solutions to conflicts at an early stage, rather than struggling to cope with the consequences.”
2015-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7374 (2015) · source
“It is estimated that nearly 1,500 women give birth in dire conditions each day in Syria, and that access to obstetric and neonatal care is virtually non-existent in some ISIL-controlled areas in Iraq, such as Anbar province. Even siege is being used as a tactic ofwarfare in Syria, where some 212,000 people are in areas that are totally blocked off. They cannot get out and we cannot get the required aid in. International law is clear: parties to conflict are responsible for meeting the basic needs of persons under their control. Consent for relief operations must never be withheld on arbitrary grounds. If parties are unable or unwilling to provide adequate assistance, they should allow and facilitate rapid, safe and unimpeded access to people in need, including the immediate free passage of medical supplies.”
2015-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7374 (2015) · source
“In Nigeria, Boko Haram has massacred hundreds of civilians and destroyed thousands of homes, schools and medical clinics during the past few weeks. This follows repeated incidents of kidnapping of hundreds of women and children. In Syria and Iraq, all parties have been targeting civilians based on ethnic and religious grounds. Parties to conflict are also denying people access to basic assistance such as food and medicines. For example, in Syria, the routine removal of medical supplies and equipment from humanitarian convoys has prevented critical medical aid from reaching those who desperately need it. Violence, insecurity and movement restrictions have further hindered access to medical care, including reproductive health care for women and girls.”
2015-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7374 (2015) · source
“The United Nations Mission in South Sudan regularly consults displaced women in the protection of civilians sites through consultation groups that have been formed. These consultations help to ensure that prevention and protection strategies led by the Mission take into account the perceptions and security needs of women. Such good practices are being replicated in other mission and non-mission settings. The primary responsibility for protecting and assisting civilians affected by armed conflict lies with the parties to the conflict. Yet many parties have demonstrated complete disregard for their obligations under international humanitarian law and human rights law. In some cases, parties to conflict deliberately target civilians and use tactics designed to cause them the greatest possible harm.”
2015-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7374 (2015) · source
“These are manifestations of deeper, systemic problems. We need to better understand the social, economic and power dynamics that result in the continued enslavement of and use of violence against women, particularly in conflict situations. We must also make concerted efforts to expand women's representation and participation in rule-of-law processes and protection mechanisms. Women must be included in the political leadership, security forces and accountability mechanisms of countries. To facilitate these efforts on the ground, 17 women protection advisers have been deployed to six peacekeeping operations and embedded in the offices of the Special Representative of the Secretary- Generals.”
2015-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7374 (2015) · source
“Women and children must also face the increased vulnerability brought about by displacement, family separation, the destruction of civilian infrastructure and restrictions on humanitarian aid. Women and children make up some 80 per cent of refugees around the world and the majority of internally displaced persons. Women and girls who are displaced are particularly at risk of being targeted for all forms of gender-based Violence. Harmful practices, such as forced and early marriage, as well as survival sex, are also more common during displacement. Simply put, crisis exacerbates gender inequalities. While entire communities suffer the impact of armed conflict, women and girls are often the first to lose their rights to education, to political participation and to livelihoods, among other rights being bluntly violated.”
2015-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7374 (2015) · source
“Indeed, in most conflicts, women and girls continue to be disproportionately affected by sexual violence, and the brutalization of women remains a consistent and persistent feature of conflict. For example, as it has captured territory in Iraq and Syria, the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has used and punished women to demonstrate its power. Women have been repeatedly raped, forced into marriage and sold into slavery. Nigerian women and girls have given harrowing accounts of their experiences at the hands of Boko Haram. In Afghanistan, the number of women and girls killed or injured - including through targeted attacks against women in public roles and against girls seeking education - has continued to increase at an alarming rate.”
2015-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7374 (2015) · source
“The Security Council has taken concrete action in a number of cases to implement its commitments to protecting civilians in armed conflict, and it has recognized the particular protection needs of women and girls. In 2010, the Council adopted resolution 1960 (2010), which requested the Secretary-General to set up monitoring and reporting arrangements on conflict- related sexual violence, and called upon parties to conflict to make clear commitments to combatting sexual violence. Resolution 2122 (2013) put in place stronger measures to enable women to participate in conflict resolution and recovery. In addition, the Council has adopted sanctions expressly targeting perpetrators of sexual violence in various conflicts around the world. But the scourge of sexual violence in armed conflict is far from being rooted out.”
2015-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7374 (2015) · source
“The average length of displacement is now 17 years. Of course, one of the worst examples of this is in Syria, where more than half of the population is currently displaced - 7.6 million internally, some repeatedly, and 3.8 million as refugees in neighbouring countries. But the number is growing elsewhere, too - for example in Darfur, where 450,000 people were displaced last year, adding to the more than 2 million already in internally displaced persons camps. Another area of serious concern is the widespread use of explosive weapons in populated areas. Figures from 2013 show that when explosive weapons were used in populated areas, 93 per cent of the casualties were civilians. The Secretary-General's call to avoid the use of some explosive weapons in populated areas has obviously remained unheeded.”
2015-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7374 (2015) · source
“Now more than ever, the protection of civilians needs to be at the top of our priorities. The need for protection has increased dramatically in recent years, mainly as a result of armed conflict. At the start of 2014, humanitarian organizations appealed for aid to help 52 million people in urgent need of assistance and protection. By the end of the year, the number had gone up by almost 50 per cent to 76 million. The overwhelming majority of these people are civilians affected by conflict, and the majority are women and girls. The number of people displaced by conflict has reached levels not seen since the Second World War. At the end of 2013, there were more than 33 million people living in internal displacement caused by conflict and violence. The majority have been displaced for several years or even decades.”
2015-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7374 (2015) · source
“Humanitarian actors have also strengthened their policies and programmes to protect civilians in crises, as exemplified in the 2013 Inter-Agency Standing Committee statement on the centrality of protection. Despite these positive developments across the United Nations system, the task of protecting civilians in armed conflict has become more and more onerous over the years as the scale and level of brutality and violence committed against civilians in armed conflict have continued to rise. From Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Libya to the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, South Sudan, the Sudan, Ukraine and many others, civilians caught up in armed conflict are being killed and maimed, fleeing their homes and fearing for their lives.”
2015-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7374 (2015) · source
“Ms. Kang: On behalf of Ms. Valerie Amos, Under- Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, I have the honour to deliver the following statement. It has been more than 15 years since the Security Council broke new ground by recognizing the protection of civilians as central to its mandate. Since then, the Council has taken important steps to implement its commitments to protect civilians. The Council has increasingly identified protection of civilians as a priority task in many of the peacekeeping operations it has created. The Secretary-General has launched the Human Rights Up Front initiative to reinvigorate system-wide coherence and commitment to preventing and responding to serious human rights violations that could lead to mass atrocities.”
2015-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7374 (2015) · source
“A lack of funding 4 for example, for the winterization programme - means that hundreds of thousands of the 3.3 million people targeted for assistance have not received assistance during this particularly harsh winter. In conclusion, the Council must find a way to end the conflict in Syria. At the beginning of the conflict, nearly four years ago, 1 million people needed humanitarian assistance inside the country. Today, that figure stands at 12.2 million, and 3.8 million people have fled to neighbouring countries. We must not allow the world to forget Syria and the atrocities being committed against its people.”
2015-01-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7369 (2015) · source
“Although one additional international non- governmental organization was approved in January, there has been no progress on addressing the administrative constraints placed on international NGOs by the Government of Syria. International NGOs have vast experience and much needed capacity, making them a crucial partner in the effort to meet the ever-growing needs in Syria. In order for humanitarian agencies to continue their work, more funding is urgently required. The Syria response is now contained in a single plan and appeal and includes assistance both from within the country and through cross-border operations. The response to people inside Syria requires $2.9 billion this year. Last year, we received 48 per cent of the amount requested.”
2015-01-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7369 (2015) · source
“We have consistently reported on the severity of conditions inside eastern Ghouta, where aid deliveries continue to be heavily restricted. In 2014, 16 requests to the Government for interagency convoys to eastern Ghouta were made, only four of which were carried out. The remaining 12 were unanswered, denied or subjected to conditions that could not be accommodated. This past week, a further four requests were made to reach the area, and we await a response. No assistance has reached the Yarmouk camp for Palestinians since 6 December due to ongoing fighting inside and around the camp. Previous deliveries were already sporadic and insufficient to constitute sustained and adequate coverage of the needs of some 18,000 people inside the camp.”
2015-01-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7369 (2015) · source
“In December, injectable medicines and surgical supplies were denied to areas in eastern Ghouta. In January, despite the support of the governor of Homs, Government security forces removed all surgical items, diarrhoea kits, midwifery kits and reproductive health kits from the interagency convoy to Al-Wa'er, in breach of international humanitarian law. Some 212,000 people are still besieged, 185,500 people by Government forces and 26,500 people by opposition forces, with limited aid reaching only two locations since 1 December. Beginning on 24 December, some 9,000 people, including children and sick and wounded civilians, were able to evacuate towns in eastern Ghouta, some of them reportedly from besieged areas, as a result of local agreements between the parties.”
2015-01-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7369 (2015) · source
“8 million people - about 40 per cent of the total 12.2 million people in need of humanitarian assistance - are residing in areas where they struggle to receive basic services and staples, and where humanitarian access remains a significant challenge. Access to ISIL-controlled Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor is particularly concerning. United Nations agencies were unable to deliver food to the entire caseload of 600,000 people in those two governorates in December due to lack of agreement with armed groups on the ground. Many local NGOs in Raqqa have put humanitarian activities on hold, and in the past week some humanitarian organizations in the governorate were closed. We regret to report that no progress has been achieved on the inclusion of surgical supplies in cross- line humanitarian convoys.”
2015-01-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7369 (2015) · source
“United Nations cross-border deliveries from Turkey and Jordan into Syria continued to increase. As of 26 January, 59 shipments had been made under the terms ofresolutions 2165 (2014) and 2191 (2014). Those deliveries provided food assistance for over 702,000 people, non-food items for over 615,000, water and sanitation supplies for 311,000 and medical supplies for over 468,000. The World Food Programme reached 315,000 people in rural parts of Dar'a, Quneitra, Idlib and eastern Aleppo city in December via cross-border operations. It plans to scale up further next month, but needs more funds to do so. Despite those efforts, the needs continue to outpace the response. Approximately 4.”
2015-01-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7369 (2015) · source
“There are 7.6 million people displaced within the country. Many have been displaced multiple times from one unsafe area to the next. In addition, there are 3.8 million refugees in neighbouring countries. Humanitarian organizations continue to strive to help people in desperate need despite the extremely difficult and unsafe operating environment inside the country. Food was distributed to over 3.6 million people in December, emergency non-food items were provided to over 500,000, water and sanitation interventions were provided for approximately 1.5 million and medical assistance was afforded for over 680,000 persons via regular, cross-line and cross-border deliveries. In addition, international and Syrian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) reached 1.5 million people across all sectors.”
2015-01-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7369 (2015) · source
“They also documented the deaths of seven medical personnel during the same period, all killed by Government forces, including three who were reportedly tortured to death and one who was executed. At least three schools were reportedly hit by Government airstrikes in Idlib governorate in December, killing nine children and injuring many others. Meanwhile, the atrocities meted out by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) continued in areas under its control, including numerous reports of executions, including by stoning and throwing victims from buildings. Its brutal subjugation of women and girls is particularly heinous, and the fate of the women sold into sexual slavery remains deeply concerning. The relentless violence and destruction in Syria has led to one of the worst displacements of people the world has seen in decades.”
2015-01-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7369 (2015) · source
“Armed opposition groups and designated terrorist organizations have also continued to use explosive weapons in populated areas. A barrage of around 50 rockets and mortars killed at least seven and injured 50 in Damascus city on 25 January. Infrastructure for essential services continues to come under deliberate and indiscriminate attack. For example, for nearly two weeks, the Al-Nusra Front has out water supplies to Idlib city, affecting some 600,000 people. In response, local Government authorities are preventing the delivery of aid to opposition-controlled areas. Hospitals and schools have not been spared. Physicians for Human Rights documented eight attacks on medical facilities during December, six of them by Government forces.”
2015-01-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7369 (2015) · source
“Ms. Kang: On behalf of Ms. Valerie Amos, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Emergency Relief Coordinator, I have the honour to deliver the following statement. Syria is entering its fifth year of conflict characterized by extreme violence and brutality. Resolution 2139 (2014) called for an end to the indiscriminate employment of weapons in populated areas, including shelling and aerial bombardment and the use of barrel bombs, But the call continues to be ignored. The Government has continued to conduct airstrikes, including barrel bombs, in densely populated areas. Between 21 and 26 January, Government airstrikes on East Ghouta in Rural Damascus reportedly killed nearly 100 people and injured scores more.”
2015-01-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7369 (2015) · source
“The collective punishment inflicted upon civilians is appalling, and so too is the callous disregard of the parties to the conflict for the people of Syria, for their safety and dignity, and for the country's future. The parties must comply with their international legal obligations to protect people. They must allow us the access required to help those in need. And we need the international community's continued financial support to help expand our reach. While we in the humanitarian community continue, to the best of our abilities, to work hard to deliver aid to all who need it, ultimately the answer to the crisis in Syria and the region will come only through a political solution that truly addresses the root causes of the cr1s1s.”
2014-10-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7293 (2014) · source
“But our requests have so far gone unanswered, and that is wholly unacceptable. A lack of funding is also severely compromising our operations and remains a major obstacle to our ability to reach more people in need. At this point last year, the $1.4 billion appeal for activities inside Syria was 57 per cent funded. Today, we have received only 39 per cent of the required $2.3 billion. The consequences are stark. Food assistance will be reduced for over 4 millions Syrians; 1 million will not receive blankets, warm clothes or fuel ahead of the winter. We appeal to the international community to redouble its efforts so that we can respond to the ever-growing needs. The human suffering in Syria is worsening. The numbers ofpeople killed and injured in nearly four years of conflict are staggering.”
2014-10-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7293 (2014) · source