Syria: UN agencies and 120 humanitarian organizations call for action now

Three years ago, leaders of UN humanitarian agencies issued an urgent appeal, calling for every effort to save the Syrian people, declaring in a video message that civilians had suffered enough bloodshed.

With the war now approaching its sixth year, the new appeal warns that “the bloodshed continues,” and “the suffering deepens.”

This time, humanitarian organizations and UN agencies are not only appealing to governments but to citizens around the world – asking them to add their voices in urging “an end to the carnage,” and for parties to reach an agreement on a ceasefire and a path to peace.

“More than ever before, the world needs to hear a collective public voice calling for an end to this outrage. Because this conflict and its consequences touch us all,” the appeal stresses.

“It touches those in Syria who have lost loved ones and livelihoods, who have been uprooted from their homes, or who live in desperation under siege. Today, some 13.5 million people inside Syria need humanitarian assistance. That is not simply a statistic. These are 13.5 million individual human beings whose lives and futures are in jeopardy,” it adds.

Recalling that the war has seen 4.6 million people flee to neighbouring countries and beyond, the appeal underlines that the conflict also touches those far beyond Syria “who have seen the violent repercussions of the crisis reach the streets, offices and restaurants closer to their homes.”

“Those with the ability to stop the suffering can – and therefore should – take action now,” humanitarian organizations insisted, noting that until there is a diplomatic solution to the fighting, such action should feature a number of measures.

These include unimpeded access for humanitarian organizations to bring immediate relief to all those in need; humanitarian pauses and unconditional, monitored ceasefires; a cessation of attacks on civilian infrastructure; and freedom of movement for all civilians and the immediate lifting of all sieges by all parties.

“These are practical actions. There is no practical reason they could not be implemented if there is the will to do so,” the appeal concludes, adding that “for the sake of the millions of innocents who have already suffered so much, and for the millions more whose lives and futures hang in the balance,” action is needed now.

Photo credit: UNICEF/UN06843/Sanadiki/www.justearthnews.com