1 August 2014
Valerie Amos, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, warned that attacks on civilians by all parties to the conflict and human rights abuses continue ‘in flagrant violation of the most basic principles of … international law’. (more…)
11 July 2014
On 9 July, the United Kingdom stated that is was probable that chemicals that were legally exported to Syria by British firms in the 1980s had been used for Syria’s chemical weapons programme. In a written statement to parliament, Foreign Secretary William Hague said that ‘from the information we hold, we judge it likely that these chemical exports by UK companies were subsequently used by Syria in their programs to produce nerve agents, including sarin’. (more…)
Source: The New York Times | UK Says Likely That Syria Used British Chemicals to Make Sarin Gas
3 June 2014
On 28 May, at the United States Military Academy at West Point, president Barack Obama pledged to build up military support with equipment and training to moderate Syrian rebel groups. The proposal still needs to be approved by Congress, but a senior administration official said that ‘what we’re saying today … is not only do we want to continue to increase the assistance that we provide to the Syrian opposition, but we do want to have this discussion with Congress about the potential for there to be a role for the US military in that effort.’ (more…)
Source: Reuters | U.S. pledge of support for Syria's moderate rebels in early stages – official
Source: The Guardian | US nears decision on training Syrian rebels
Source: The Wall Street Journal | Obama Close to Authorizing Military Training of Syrian Rebels
26 May 2014
On 22 May, in a confidential report, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged the Security Council to authorise the delivery of food and medicine to Syria without Al-Assad’s consent. In what the NY Times has named Ban Ki-moon’s strongest push to date to bypass Syria’s government so as to deliver aid, the Secretary General indicated that the Syrian government is failing in its responsibility to look after its own people. (more…)
Source: The New York Times | U.N. Chief Urges Aid Delivery Without Syria’s Consent
Source: Gulfnews | Ban Ki-moon’s confidential report urges Security Council to send aid without Al Assad’s consent
19 May 2014
Following reports that armed groups have cut water supplies in Aleppo (Syria), leaving at least 2.5 million people with no access to safe water for drinking and sanitation for eight days, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned that such deliberate targeting of civilians is a ‘clear breach’ of international law. According to a statement, Mr. Ban ‘notes that preventing people’s access to safe water is a denial of a fundamental human right’, adding that deliberate targeting of civilians and depriving them of essential supplies is a clear breach of international humanitarian and human rights law. (more…)