UN Security Council Emergency Session on Syria Ceasefire

The United Nations Security Council will hold an emergency session on March 7th to expedite the implementation of the ceasefire resolution in Eastern Ghouta, Syria. The ceasefire resolution was approved on February 24th.

According to French officials, the UN Security Council will convene an emergency session on Wednesday, March 7th (16th of Esfand) to implement the Syria ceasefire resolution as quickly as possible.

The purpose of this session, which is being held at the request of France and Britain, is the “immediate implementation” of the ceasefire resolution in Eastern Ghouta, which was approved on February 24th.

The ceasefire in Eastern Ghouta, located on the outskirts of Damascus, was supposed to last at least 30 days. The goal of this ceasefire was to deliver humanitarian assistance as quickly as possible to people in besieged Eastern Ghouta and to evacuate patients and wounded from the area.

On Wednesday, February 28th, Russia and Syria blamed the United States and its allies for the failure of the ceasefire in Syria. However, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, attributed responsibility to Assad’s regime for the killing of civilians in Eastern Ghouta and called for the perpetrators of this “war crime” to be prosecuted by the International Criminal Court.

The first humanitarian aid convoy managed to enter Eastern Ghouta on Monday, March 5th after several weeks. However, the International Committee of the Red Cross stated that it was forced to suspend aid deliveries following the deterioration of the security situation.

Eastern Ghouta is one of the largest areas in Syria still controlled by anti-government forces. Approximately 400,000 people in this region are under siege by Syrian government forces and are targets of bombardment by the Syrian army with Russian support.

Hundreds of people have lost their lives in the bombardment of this area in recent weeks. Russia, which established a five-hour daily ceasefire in this area as of February 27th, has accused Syrian government opponents of shelling a “safe passage” that was prepared for the evacuation of civilians. The opposition denies these accusations.

Source: DW