Humanitarian Aid to Syria paralyzed by conflict and bureacracy: UN

UN humanitarian workers are hampered in their attempts to deliver much-needed aid to Syrians because of continuous conflict, insecurity and the government's hindrance to get aid to the needy, UN's top humanitarian official told the UN Security Council on Thursday.

Resolution 2139, adopted unanimously by UN Security Council in February, which demands the unimpeded deliverance of aid to Syria is not working well, according to the fourth report by the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs.

Valerie Amos, said the continued absence of a political solution in the country, where thousands of people are losing their lives every month, makes the international community realize that it cannot do it alone.

She called upon the 15 member states of the UN to ensure all warring parties in Syria abide by international law, and pointed again towards the responsibility that the Syrian government holds.

"The focus of the government of Syria remains on controlling the work of the UN and its partners," said Amos.

"Arbitrary restrictions and obstructions, including bureaucratic procedures imposed by the Syrian government, limit or obstruct where we deliver aid, to whom and how often," Amos said.

She also added that some opposition groups have attacked threatened and refused to cooperate with humanitarian workers.

On the other hand food delivery has critically declined in May and only 50 percent of the planned food assistance was delivered in June, and it has yet to be restored to previous levels, the UN humanitarian chief told the Security Council.

"I cannot describe to the council the frustration felt by experienced aid workers who have to spend endless hours trying to get an agreement for aid deliveries as people's lives hang in the balance," Amos told UN diplomats.

She also talked about the three level of approvals on humanitarian procedures introduced by the Syrian government which resulted in a large aid delivery backlog including the aid delivery to hard-to-reach areas.

She reported that since her last briefing at the UN, only 2,467 people -1 percent of those in besieged areas - have received humanitarian assistance. In total 10.8 million people depend on urgent international support, while insecurity and active conflict continue to play a major role in preventing humanitarian access to all Syrians in need.

In addition, "there have been numerous examples of targeted or indiscriminate attacks on civilians in densely populated areas in violation of the most fundamental principles of international humanitarian law," Amos said.
In the council, Amos described the incident of June 18, when barrel bombs were dropped on a camp where 350 displaced families lived in As Shajara in southern Syria near the Jordanian border killing dozens, including women and children.

"Once again, I remind this Council that targeting or indiscriminately attacking vulnerable civilians constitutes a war crime," said Amos.

"There can be no justification for such action," she said.