“I hope they will soon, because if not, it will be another missed opportunity to help the Syrian conflict to come to a negotiated end, at a time when the impact of the crisis is deepening,” Geir Pedersen said, briefing the Security Council.
While there had been positive humanitarian gestures following the devastating earthquakes in February, it was disappointing that the UN cross-border relief operations which provoked a Russian veto and a failure to agree any resolution two weeks ago, could not be extended, he told ambassadors.
“How are the Syrians meant to believe that some broader progress is possible, and how are they meant to be encouraged to overcome their own deep differences, if consensus on humanitarian basics among international parties is elusive?”