Senior UN Official to Security Council: Don’t You Want to Hear the Voices of Idlib’s Children?

A senior UN humanitarian official has described the situation in Idlib, the last major area under the control of Syrian rebels, as dire, saying action must be taken immediately to end “bloody attacks” and prevent a “humanitarian catastrophe”.

Mark Lowcock criticized members of the UN Security Council on August 29, accusing them of “disregarding” the organization’s previous requests to prevent bombing and air strikes.

Mr. Lowcock said sharply to UN Security Council members on Tuesday: “Do you want to stay indifferent again… or will you hear the voices of Idlib’s children and take action?”

Syria’s central government and its main backer, Russia, are accused of carrying out severe air and missile strikes on Idlib. Damascus and Moscow claim the rebels “violated” the ceasefire, saying they are responding to rebel attacks and are not targeting civilians.

Reports from groups of observers and international news agencies indicate that Syria’s central government and its allies are engaged in a comprehensive effort to control the last major rebel stronghold.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said last Friday that in just ten days, at least 100 civilians, including 26 children, were killed during air strikes by the Syrian army.

Idlib is largely controlled by Islamist groups, particularly Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a renamed group that was formerly an Al-Qaeda branch in Syria. Current reports indicate that Syria’s central government’s military campaign in Idlib has faced obstacles, with rebels resisting the attacks “with Turkish support”.

However, the UN has repeatedly expressed concern in recent weeks about the situation and plight of civilians caught in the fighting.

Since the outbreak of Syria’s civil war in 2011, the UN Security Council has pursued a dual approach toward the country. Russia, the most important backer of Bashar al-Assad in the council, has veto power. Western countries are also opposed to Assad. In recent years, no significant or notable action has been taken by this council.

Nevertheless, following talks and negotiations between Moscow and Ankara, which ultimately resulted in agreements to establish de-escalation zones in Syria, it was expected that the intensity of violence would decrease. However, current reports from Idlib show a trend contrary to these expectations.

According to Reuters, two-thirds of Security Council members have asked the UN Secretary-General to launch investigations into reports of attacks on hospitals.

Reuters says the United States, France, and Britain are angered by the increase in attacks on hospitals and schools, particularly in Idlib.

Meanwhile, Associated Press reported that Russia’s ambassador to the UN said that “whenever a terrorist base in Syria is eliminated, emotional accusations” are leveled against Assad and Moscow.

UN officials have expressed deep concern in recent days about the situation of civilians in Idlib and other parts of Syria, and Mark Lowcock’s report is just one example of this.

One day before Mr. Lowcock’s appearance before the Security Council, the UN said in a report that air strikes, mine explosions, bombing with barrel bombs and cluster munitions in Syria resulted in 1,854 children being killed and wounded in the past year. In this regard, Syria was the worst place for children living in the midst of conflicts scattered around the world, after Afghanistan.

Source: Radio Farda