YouSaid · the spoken record

Kyung-Wha Kang

lines on the record: 65
first: 2009-11-11
most recent: 2015-12-21
sittings or episodes: 5
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

“May I reiterate the call made by the Secretary- General to the ISSG while welcoming that Council resolution to apply the necessary pressure on the Syrian parties to immediately implement the following confidence-building measures: to stop the use of indiscriminate weapons against civilians, including barrel bombs; to allow unconditional and unimpeded access for aid convoys; to halt attacks on medical and educational facilitie, and lift all restrictions on medical and surgical supplies from humanitarian convoys; and to release all detainees. It is our earnest hope that the Council, in support of the ISSG, has started to pave the way to peace in Syria.”
2015-12-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7592 (2015) · source
“As we enter a new year, we must do our utmost to bring hope back to Syrians, who have suffered so much. The conflict must be brought to an end through a comprehensive political solution that addresses its underlying causes. We pin our hopes on the efforts of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG), and are encouraged by resolution 2254 (2015), which the Security Council adopted on 18 December.”
2015-12-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7592 (2015) · source
“I call on all partners to contribute generously to those plans, in preparation for the upcoming conference on the theme "Supporting Syria and the Region, London 2016". Only with the help of partners can we assist those in need inside the country and in the neighbouring countries. In a rehabilitation centre at the Turkish border, I saw the deep trauma in the eyes of Syrian girls and boys who had lost arms and legs in Violent attacks. One young man had only one arm left. I also saw the commitment and courage of the doctors and nurses who were earnestly trying to help them back to life, physically and mentally. Together, they were emblematic of their country and people - broken in so many ways but still desperately and defiantly struggling to hold on to life.”
2015-12-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7592 (2015) · source
“Over half of the total population in Syria has been displaced since the beginning of this crisis, with some 6.5 million people displaced internally. Nearly 4.3 million people have fled the country, with neighbouring countries in the region bearing an enormous burden. Under extremely challenging circumstances, humanitarian partners continue to reach millions of people every month with life-saving assistance. But much more is needed. The humanitarian community recently finalized a humanitarian response plan for 2016, asking for nearly $3.2 billion to provide life-saving assistance to the 13.5 million people in need inside the country. The plan sets out a joint framework for the response efforts based on prioritized needs across the different sectors. As 2015 draws to an end, the response inside the country is only 42 per cent funded.”
2015-12-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7592 (2015) · source
“In particular, as the Syrian skies become more crowded, we urge all forces carrying out airstrikes to comply with this basic principle, which is enshrined in international humanitarian law. Contamination due to explosive remnants of war is also a major challenge in many parts of the country, and there is a critical need clearing explosive hazards in Syria. That is an immediate, life-saving priority, and the humanitarian partners courageously undertaking that work need our urgent support. Civilian displacement, which is a defining characteristic of the crisis in Syria, continued at a relentless pace over the past month. More than 121,000 people had to flee their homes in nine governorates, many of them for the second or the third time.”
2015-12-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7592 (2015) · source
“Over the past month, Violence continued to escalate and intensify across Syria. Indiscriminate attacks by all parties to the conflict resulted in the loss of life, the destruction of infrastructure and the denial of access to basic service of thousands of people. On 13 December, eight students and four staff were killed when an elementary school was reportedly hit in Duma, in eastern Ghouta. A month earlier, on 12 November, eight civilians, including six children, were reportedly injured when a mortar struck a school in the Bab Touma neighbourhood of Damascus. We again remind all parties to the conflict on their responsibility to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.”
2015-12-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7592 (2015) · source
“Such attacks are flagrant violations of international humanitarian law and an affront to the core of our shared humanity, which must be guarded - caring for the wounded and the sick. I plead with the parties to the conflict to ensure the protection of health facilities, workers and patients under international humanitarian law. Similarly the removal of surgical supplies and trauma kits from convoys by the Syrian Government must end. In Al-Waer, the Emergency Relief Coordinator visited one of the hundreds of hospitals in Syria that have been either damaged or entirely destroyed during the conflict. The hospital lacked all basic supplies. Without any blood bags, transfusions were made directly from a donor to a patient, placing patients at a considerable risk of contracting infectious diseases.”
2015-12-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7592 (2015) · source
“One White Helmet staff was killed while driving an ambulance carrying injured people to a nearby medical facility. That loss of innocent lives and wanton indiscriminate destruction of populated areas is an outrage, and those responsible must be held accountable. One non-governmental organization (NGO) suspended all activities as of today, as its water, sanitation and hygiene programme manager was killed during the airstrikes on Idlib city. Since late September, at least five international NGOs have suspended operations. Since the start of this crisis, Physicians for Human Rights have documented 336 attacks on at least 240 medicalfacilities,andthedeathof697medicalpersonnel.”
2015-12-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7592 (2015) · source
“Several hospitals, markets and bakeries have been hit, and scores of civilian deaths and injuries are reported almost on a daily basis. The doctors who work to save them have become a target, and they fear that the Red Cross and Red Crescent emblems are no longer the shield of protection that they must be. The violence has also disrupted the provision of humanitarian assistance. Just yesterday, six airstrikes hit a busy marketplace, several public buildings and residential areas in the Idlib city centre. Rescue workers reported that 43 people had been confirmed dead, and approximately 30 more bodies are yet to be identified. According to preliminary reports, at least five aid workers were killed in the attack while performing their duties in ldlib.”
2015-12-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7592 (2015) · source
“I also call on non-State armed groups, as well as listed terrorist groups, to allow the deliveries they are preventing from proceeding. Cross-border operations authorized by the Council have had a significant impact on improving humanitarian access, bringing life-saving assistance to millions of people in desperate need. As of 30 November, that included food assistance for over 2.4 million people, medical supplies for 4.1 million treatments and non-food items for 1.6 million people. We are very grateful for the cooperation and support of the Jordanian and Turkish authorities who have made that possible. However, we are deeply concerned at the escalation of fighting on the ground and airstrikes, reportedly by Syrian and allied forces, in the northern part of the country and their impact on civilians and civilian infrastructure.”
2015-12-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7592 (2015) · source
“The case of Al-Waer highlights the severe needs of many of the 4.5 million people living in hard-to-reach areas, of whom nearly 400,000 are besieged. From September to November, because of imposed access restrictions and insecurity, the United Nations and its partners reached only 32 per cent of the hard-to-reach locations. Similarly, during the same period, parties to the conflict continued to heavily restrict access to besieged areas. As a result, only some 1 per cent of the besieged population received food assistance, and less than 1 per cent health assistance. That is simply unacceptable. I once again call upon the Syrian authorities to approve the 47 pending inter-agency convoy requests and to allow convoys previously agreed in principle to proceed.”
2015-12-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7592 (2015) · source
“The Emergency Relief Coordinator, Stephen O'Brien, visited Syria from 12 to 14 December to find ways to improve the ongoing response efforts. I myself recently visited the cross-border hubs in Jordan and Turkey. During his mission, Mr. O'Brien Visited the Al-Waer neighbourhood of Homs city, where a cessation of hostilities was reached. That agreement has allowed the humanitarian community to deliver assistance to all 60,000 people in Al-Waer, whom the United Nations had not been able to reach since January. That is a welcome development that demonstrates what can be done when an agreement is reached between the parties. We are encouraged by that, but reiterate that humanitarian access should be unhindered and sustained at all times, and not be made conditional on negotiated agreements.”
2015-12-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7592 (2015) · source
“Ms. Kyung-wha Kang: On behalfofthe Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mr. Stephen O'Brien, I would like to thank the Security Council for this opportunity to brief it on the latest developments in Syria. Month after month, since the adoption of resolutions 2139 (2014) and 2165 (2014), in February and July 2014, respectively, the Council has been briefed on the suffering of the Syrian people. We have repeatedly described in detail the countless and blatant Violations of the basic tenets of international humanitarian and human rights law. For nearly five years, we have watched as Syria has sunk deeper and deeper into Violence and brutality, and yet no words can do justice to the despair and devastation that millions of Syrians experience every day.”
2015-12-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7592 (2015) · source
“The siege on more than 422,000 people must be lifted. Those who need protection and assistance in all parts of Syria must be provided with rapid and unhindered access to such assistance, including to medical services and surgical supplies. The relentless use of barrel bombs by the Government must be halted immediately, as must other forms of indiscriminate attacks on civilians, which are strictly prohibited under international humanitarian law. We look to the Council to pressure the parties to get them to protect civilians and abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law, and to promote and seek systematic accountability for violations. For the people of Syria and the humanitarians who assist them, it is hard to see an end to this nightmare of violence and destruction.”
2015-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7476 (2015) · source
“The 92 shipments since 1 December have included food assistance for 2.6 million people; basic household items for more than 1 million people; medical supplies and treatments for over 1 million people; and water and sanitation supplies for more than 600,000 people. Active fighting and shifting conflict lines have had an impact on the use of certain crossing points. Given the fluid and dynamic nature of the conflict in Syria, it is crucial for United Nations agencies to be able to use any and every route - across both borders and conflict lines - to reach those who require assistance. The parties to the conflict continue to violate human rights and international humanitarian law with impunity by killing and torturing civilians, blocking humanitarian access and destroying and besieging communities.”
2015-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7476 (2015) · source
“But those efforts require adequate resources. Only a quarter of the total appeal for lifesaving work in Syria and the region has been funded as of today, and food assistance across the region is now injeopardy. Since January, WFP has had to reduce its food provisions by 30 per cent, and more cuts are anticipated in the next three months owing to serious funding shortfalls. Resolution 2165 (2014) continues to be a strong tool for humanitarian organizations attempting to reach Syrians in need. Resolutions 2165 (2014) and 2191 (2014) have enabled the United Nations and partners to reach people in need who were largely inaccessible before. United Nations cross-border food and medical shipments have increased significantly over the past six months.”
2015-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7476 (2015) · source
“We also note the Government's quick approvals in May and June of a number of short-term visas for United Nations and international NGO staff to attend humanitarian meetings hosted in Damascus within the context of the whole of Syria, and we very much hope that trend will continue. Parties to the conflict continue to besiege 422,000 civilians. Some humanitarian assistance, including medical supplies, was delivered to eastern Ghouta, besieged by Government forces, during April and May, and assistance was airlifted into western neighbourhoods of Deir ez-Zor under siege from ISIL forces. But the assistance that the United Nations and partners have managed to get into besieged areas in the past three months has been wholly inadequate. Aid agencies are working hard to assist the millions of Syrians affected by the conflict.”
2015-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7476 (2015) · source
“However, aid deliveries to the 4.8 million people in need in hard-to-reach areas remain a serious challenge, owing to active conflicts, poor security and deliberate obstruction by the parties to the conflict. United Nations agencies and partners are reaching only about 34 per cent of hard-to-reach and besieged areas every month. Of the 48 inter-agency requests made to the Government so far in 2015, 20 were approved following meetings in April and June and 12 have been put on hold because of poor security, leaving 16 awaiting Government approval. The recent progress in the approval of access to some locations must continue, and we call on the Government to approve the pending requests and allow rapid, unimpeded and sustainable access to all hard-to- reach locations.”
2015-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7476 (2015) · source
“Each month, the World Food Programme (WFP) has been feeding approximately 4.1 million people; the World Health Organization is distributing medicines and supplies to around 2.7 million; and UNICEF is reaching 2.2 million with water, sanitation services, education and other support. The Office of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees continues to provide more than 240,000 people with core relief items and protection services, and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East supports around 480,000 Palestine refugees. That is complemented by the ongoing programmes run by non-governmental organizations (NGOs), which reached more than a million people in May.”
2015-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7476 (2015) · source
“Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon continue to bear the lion's share of the ever-growing burden of caring for those who flee Syria. Turkey, for example, is already hosting 1.8 million refugees, and took in at least 23,000 ofthose who fled Tel Abyad in mid-June. I would like to thank those neighbours of Syria and to echo the comments made recently on the subject by the High Commissioner for Refugees, Mr. Antonio Guterres (see S/PV.7433). The rest of the world should step up to do substantively more to address the consequences of this conflict. It is crucial that other countries welcome Syrians who are seeking a safe haven. Despite the extremely challenging environment, humanitarian organizations operating from within Syria and from neighbouring countries continue to reach millions ofpeople in need.”
2015-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7476 (2015) · source
“According to the Physicians for Human Rights organization, the month of May was the worst on record for such attacks since the start of the conflict, with 15 verified attacks on medical facilities, all by aerial bombardment, including eight barrel-bomb attacks. Ten medical staffers were killed. Intense fighting across the country has displaced tens of thousands more people. In Tel Abyad, some 50,000 people have been forced from their homes since May. In Dar'a, fighting between Government forces and non-State armed groups began in the early hours of 24 June, displacing at least 40,000 people. In the city of Hasakeh, an ISIL attack displaced at least 60,000 people in the past week, and in Raqqa, thousands of Kurds were told by ISIL to leave the governorate.”
2015-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7476 (2015) · source
“In the past week, the situation has deteriorated significantly in Kobani/Ain Al-Arab following attacks by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) aimed at reclaiming that city, which have reportedly resulted in civilian deaths and further displacement. The Government's use ofbarrel bombs in populated areas has continued, causing hundreds of civilian deaths and widespread destruction across the country. Some of those incidents are described in the Secretary-General's report (S/2015/468), including barrel-bomb attacks that killed more than 200 civilians in Aleppo, at least 24 of them children. A barrel-bomb attack on a mosque in Aleppo on 22 June reportedly killed 10 people. Attacks on medical facilities continue, in blatant disregard for international humanitarian law and resolution 2139 (2014).”
2015-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7476 (2015) · source
“Some 7.6 million have been displaced inside the country, and more than 4 million have fled across its borders. And the violence continues with utter impunity. Over the past month, that violence, which has been perpetrated by all parties to the conflict, has neither abated nor diminished in brutality. The continued use of explosive weapons in populated towns and cities in Aleppo, Dar'a, Idlib, Damascus, Deir ez-Zor and Hasakeh governorates, among others, has killed hundreds of people, many of them children, and displaced tens of thousands. Indiscriminate attacks on Government-controlled areas in Aleppo killed at least 116 people in April and May, nearly half of them women and children.”
2015-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7476 (2015) · source
“Ms. Kyung-wha Kang: I have the honour to deliver the following statement, prepared by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mr. Stephen O'Brien. He deeply regrets that he is unable to present it in person today, owing to previously scheduled travel plans that could not be changed, but he would like to assure the Council that he will do so next time. Three years ago, the United Nations expressed its condemnation and deep concern about the 1,200 people who had been killed in Syria up to that point, and about the 10,000 refugees who had fled to neighbouring countries. There were already warnings that what was happening in Syria included atrocities that could amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. Today, more than 220,000 people have been killed and more than a million injured.”
2015-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7476 (2015) · source
“United Nations humanitarian agencies and our partners are doing everything we can to meet those needs, but - as we have repeatedly said - the solution to the crisis does not rest with us.”
2014-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7252 (2014) · source
“The progress in access during the past month has shown that where there is political will, there is a way to improve the situation for millions of civilians in Syria. We must all redouble our efforts until we reach everyone in need with humanitarian assistance. Each day results in more lives lost and more families and communities destroyed. The rise of extremist groups with complete disregard for even the most basic norms of humanity threatens what remains of secularism and tolerance in Syria. Now more than ever before, the Council must do all it can to end the conflict and ensure that humanitarian access increases so that we can reach all those who are desperately in need in Syria.”
2014-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7252 (2014) · source
“On 6 August, an 18-truck convoy of World Food Programme food en route from Deir ez-Zor to Raqqa came under attack from an unknown group. Two truck drivers were killed and two were injured, and the content of four trucks was damaged or destroyed. Sixty-two humanitarian workers have been killed since March 2011, including 38 Syrian Arab Red Crescent volunteers, 15 United Nations staff members - 13 from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East alone - and 2 staff members from non-governmental organizations. Humanitarian workers should not have to risk their lives to save others. I remind the Council that all parties have a responsibility to ensure the safety and security of those engaged in humanitarian operations.”
2014-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7252 (2014) · source
“That could threaten the additional cross-border operations authorized under resolution 2165 (2014). I must highlight that the funding situation for humanitarian operations in Syria is dire. The Syria Humanitarian Assistance Response Plan is severely underfunded, with only 30 per cent of the requirements met. The Syria Regional Refugee Response Plan is 45 per cent funded. That adds to the challenges we face with regard to our ability to help those in need. Insecurity poses a serious risk to our operations and our staff. Last week we commemorated World Humanitarian Day. It was an occasion to remember the humanitarian workers in Syria who put their lives on the line every day to deliver assistance to those in desperate need in Syria.”
2014-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7252 (2014) · source
“Despite those developments, much more needs to be done by the parties to ensure that access is rapid, regular, safe, and unhindered. There are still 241,000 people under siege. Administrative hurdles imposed by the Government of Syria continue to hamper the delivery of aid. Governors are still not allowed to approve the delivery of humanitarian assistance in their governorates without first consulting Damascus. The operational constraints placed on non-governmental organizations have not been removed. Designated terrorist groups, as well as armed opposition groups, continue to block access to the hard-to-reach eastern governorates of Syria. ISIL and the Nusra Front are advancing towards the border crossings of Bab al- Salam and Bab al-Hawa along the main access routes in Syria.”
2014-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7252 (2014) · source
“Of particular note, medical supplies, including surgical items, reached a number of opposition-held areas this month, mostly through cross-line access. Approximately 10 metric tons of surgical supplies and chronic-disease medicines for 22,300 people were delivered to hospitals in eastern Aleppo city. In the Yarmouk camp, the Syrian authorities authorized the distribution of medical supplies, including antibiotics and medicines for non-communicable diseases. On 28 July, the World Health Organization and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent delivered five metric tons of medical assistance to the besieged area of Madamiyet Elsham in Rif Dimashq to support a population of 24,000 people in need. Other deliveries were made to hard- to-reach areas of Raqqa, Deir ez-Zor and the Hasakeh governorates.”
2014-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7252 (2014) · source
“More shipments are planned over the next month in close coordination with the humanitarian team in Damascus, in line with the United Nations whole-of-Syria approach, through which cross- line access and cross-border access complement each other to maximize our reach to those in need. There have also been new openings in access across conflict lines, notably in the eastern rural area of Aleppo, Dar'a and the Rif Dimashq governorates, including to besieged areas. Food was dispatched to approximately 97,500 people throughout the Aleppo governorate and to 10,000 civilians trapped in rural opposition-held areas ofDar'a that had not been assisted since the beginning of the crisis, notably in Yadudeh, Tal Shihab and Zayzun.”
2014-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7252 (2014) · source
“The shipments included food assistance for some 69,500 people, non-food items for approximately 120,000 people, water and sanitation supplies for around 82,500 people and medical supplies for some 190,000 people, including surgical supplies for 700 people. All the shipments crossed without incident, and the distribution of relief supplies is ongoing. Those shipments were made possible due to the full cooperation of the Governments of Turkey and Jordan. The Government of Syria was notified 48 hours in advance of the crossing of the shipments and of their humanitarian nature.”
2014-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7252 (2014) · source
“The deployment of monitoring teams to Iraq is still pending, due to insecurity in the north-western part of the country, but the situation is constantly being assessed. Access across borders has resulted in broader coverage in hard-to-reach areas in Aleppo, Dar'a, Rif Dimashq, Idlib, Quneitra and Ladhiqiyah governorates. The United Nations has now sent nine shipments to Syria from neighbouring countries pursuant to resolution 2165 (2014). Those included seven shipments from Turkey - four through the Bab al-Salam crossing and three through the Bab al-Hawa crossing - and two from Jordan, through the Ramtha crossing.”
2014-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7252 (2014) · source
“Reports also indicate that women from the tribe are being sold in markets in Iraq. In the face of total impunity, grave human rights violations have become the norm in Syria. The parties to the conflict are oblivious of their obligations to protect civilians and abide by international humanitarian law, as they continue to commit terrible crimes against civilians, young and old, women and men. The perpetrators must be held accountable. The impunity must end. For the first time in six months, there was some improvement in the past month on humanitarian access. We are reaching more people in need in hard- to-reach areas as a result of the Council's adoption of resolution 2165 (2014). The monitoring mechanism is now operational at the three border crossings of Bab al-Hawa, Bab al-Salam and Ramtha.”
2014-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7252 (2014) · source
“The Islamic Front has several times cut the water supply to an area for displaced people in Aleppo. Medical facilities and personnel also continue to be targeted, and the number of people fleeing Syria in search of safety continues to increase. Almost one Syrian in two is either internally displaced or a refugee. The advance of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) into central Syria is taking the violence meted out to unprotected civilians to a new level. The group continues to commit horrific atrocities against those opposing its rule. In Deir ez-Zor, for example, community sources report that as many as 700 members of the Arab Al-Sheitaat tribe, whom ISIL accused of apostasy, have been killed or kidnapped over the past two weeks, with some beheaded or crucified.”
2014-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7252 (2014) · source
“In Dar'a, for example, more than 30 barrel bombs were reportedly dropped on Da'el city between 22 and 31 July, killing 10 civilians, including 5 children. Opposition and extremist groups continued to attack residential areas with mortars, shelling and vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices, killing and injuring scores ofpeople, including children. In Damascus, approximately 225 mortars and missiles targeted the capital between 3 and 7 August, killing more than 17 people and injuring at least 100, including children. The collective punishment of civilians continues, in flagrant violation of the most basic principles of international humanitarian law. Almost 1 million people in Aleppo are deprived of water because of attacks on vital infrastructure.”
2014-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7252 (2014) · source
“According to data collected by human rights organizations from various sources, July 2014 was a particularly harrowing month for civilians since the start of the conflict in Syria, with more than 1,000 civilian deaths and injuries. On 22 August, the High Commissioner for Human Rights issued updated casualty figures on the conflict. By April 2014, more than 191,000 people had been killed since it began. As appalling as it is, that number is a minimum. The real death toll is likely to be much higher. In Aleppo governorate, a marked increase in the indiscriminate use of barrel bombs by the Government was registered in residential neighbourhoods, Where civilians, including women and children, with no means to leave, still struggle to survive. The governorates of Dar'a, Hama and Idlib continued to be particularly affected by barrel bombs.”
2014-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7252 (2014) · source
“Ms. Kyung-Wha Kang: I would like to thank you, Mr. President, and the Security Council for this opportunity to deliver this statement on behalf of Ms. Valerie Amos, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator. It has been six months since resolution 2139 (2014) was adopted with the aim of pressing the parties to the conflict in Syria to abide by basic international legal obligations and reduce the suffering of ordinary people caught up in the conflict. Over those six months, the plight of people in Syria has worsened rather than diminished. The violence and conflict continues unabated, with more deaths of women, children and men. The social and economic fabric ofthe country has been ripped to shreds.”
2014-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7252 (2014) · source
“We need to support civil society, religious leaders and local communities as they strive to heal the wounds of violent conflict, rebuild social cohesion, stabilize communities and reduce sectarian violence, including through interfaith dialogue. Community reconciliation is crucial to protecting the internally displaced people in the Central African Republic. We have already seen the human cost of the international community's neglect of the Central African Republic. We need to act urgently.”
2014-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7098 (2014) · source
“The international community must consider all options for re-establishing security. The international response must also build stronger and more resilient communities in the Central African Republic. We need to look beyond today and take immediate action to restore livelihoods, preserve community support structures and strengthen local economies in order to provide a foundation for early recovery and long-term development. The root causes of the conflict, including lack of effective, inclusive and efficient governance institutions, poor management and distribution of access to natural resources, including diamonds, fragile social cohesion and deep-seated feelings of marginalization must be urgently addressed.”
2014-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7098 (2014) · source
“Humanitarian assistance cannot solve the situation in the Central African Republic. The collapsing State, after years of neglect and failure by the international community to heed the warning signs of a looming crisis, cannotbe shored up with humanitarian assistance. Security and stability must be urgently restored. The ongoing deployment of the African-led International Support Mission in the Central African Republic, supported by French troops, has had a positive effect in the areas where it is operating, and the political developments over the past week, including the designation of a new interim President and the agreement of the European Union to deploy troops, have given people in the Central African Republic hope. However, they remain fearful and sceptical in the light of the horror that they have seen and endured.”
2014-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7098 (2014) · source
“Last week, we revised the humanitarian appeal, taking into account the rapidly deteriorating situation. We now require over $551 million for our response in 2014. On that point we have good news. At the High-Level Meeting on Humanitarian Action in the Central African Republic, which was co-chaired in Brussels on Monday by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, Ms. Valerie Amos, and the European Union Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response, Ms. Kristalina Georgieva, Member States generously pledged over $200 million for humanitarian assistance and an additional $280 million for development and long-term reconstruction. Those very welcome pledges will allow us to provide life-saving food, drinking water, shelter and health care for the next few months. However, we need much more.”
2014-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7098 (2014) · source
“Me'decins Sans Frontieres is leading medical assistance. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has provided crucial relief items, including blankets and mattresses, for some 20,000 people this month, and thousands more will receive relief in the coming days. UNICEF and the World Health Organization have supported the Ministry of Health and other partners to vaccinate some 72,500 children at 17 sites this month. The International Organization for Migration is monitoring displacement and airlifting thousands of stranded migrants from the Central African Republic with priority attention given to the most vulnerable, such as those needing medical attention. One of our main challenges to date has been the international community's chronic underfunding of the crisis.”
2014-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7098 (2014) · source
“We have also sent our most experienced and skilled staff, released emergency funds and mobilized relief supplies and pipelines. The Inter-Agency Standing Committee principals met twice this month to take stock of the situation and identity areas needing urgent attention. OCHA's Emergency Operations Director was back in the country just last week to meet with humanitarian partners and communities affected by the cr1s1s. On the ground, non-governmental organization partners and the staff of humanitarian United Nations agencies, funds and programmes are working closely with civil society and religious leaders from all communities to deliver assistance in a very dangerous and unpredictable environment. The World Food Programme has mobilized food for around 315,000 people in December and January.”
2014-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7098 (2014) · source
“Just a couple of days ago, a convoy carrying mostly Muslim families being evacuated from the village of Vakap and ultimately destined for refuge in neighbouring Cameroon was reportedly stopped in Bouar, northwestern Central African Republic, and attacked by people carrying grenades and machetes. At least 3 children and 19 adults were killed, and at least 23 people, including children, were injured. The crisis in the Central African Republic is a top priority for the international humanitarian community. On 11 December 2013, we activated our highest level of response, known as a level 3 system-wide humanitarian emergency activation. We have reinforced humanitarian leadership on the ground through the deployment of a Senior Humanitarian Coordinator, Mr. Abdou Dieng.”
2014-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7098 (2014) · source
“In addition to those internally displaced, some 86,000 Central Africans have fled as refugees and sought protection in neighbouring countries over the last year, mostly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but also in Chad, Cameroon and the Republic of the Congo. This brings the total number of Central African Republic refugees in the subregion to 246,000. Some 28,000 third-country nationals have been evacuated from the Central African Republic since the crisis escalated in mid-December 2013. We have received horrendous reports of people being killed or injured while attempting to flee the violence.”
2014-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7098 (2014) · source
“Horrific atrocities continue to be perpetrated against ordinary people in the country, as has been so powerfully described by the previous speaker. More than half of the country's population - 2.5 million out of 4.6 million people - have been affected by the crisis and are in need of assistance, and people across the country are living in fear. More than 900,000 people have fled their homes and are internally displaced, including some 480,000 in the capital, Bangui, alone. At the airport in Bangui, around 100,000 people are sleeping out in the open with little access to basic services and very limited supplies. Outside Bangui, thousands of people are hiding in the forest with no aid or services, too afraid to come out. Half of the displaced are children.”
2014-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7098 (2014) · source
“Ms. Kyung-wha Kang: I would like to thank you in particular, Mr. President, and the Permanent Representative of Luxembourg for giving us this opportunity to update the Security Council on the human rights and humanitarian situation in the Central African Republic. During the two months since the Arria Formula briefing by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Emergency Operations Director, the humanitarian crisis in the Central African Republic has deepened. The political system has failed, security infrastructure has disintegrated, there has been a complete breakdown of law and order, and public service institutions, which were already weak and overstretched prior to the current crisis, have ceased functioning.”
2014-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7098 (2014) · source
“It will require enhanced resources and their more rapid deployment and an unwavering focus on the three mutually reinforcing imperatives of accountability for perpetrators, redress for victims and protection for the vulnerable. In this challenging endeavour, we - the High Commissioner and her Office - stand ready to assist.”
2009-11-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6216 (2009) · source
“At the same time, the disparity between mandated responsibilities, on the one hand, and inadequate resources, on the other, must be addressed if the expectations of the international community and the demands of victims and the vulnerable for effective protection are to be met. However, as this brief review of four countries on the Council's agenda reveals, the most important gap remains between policy and practice. Closing that gap will require a greater commitment by all to the explicit application of international law and to its enforcement. It will require more political will and less political exceptionalism. All must be held to a single standard.”
2009-11-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6216 (2009) · source