UNSC Holds Closed-Door Consultations on Aleppo

UN envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura..

New York,09 Rabi’ul Awwal 1438/09 December 2016 (MINA) – The UN Security Council (UNSC) on Thursday held intense closed-door consultations regarding the humanitarian situation in Aleppo, north Syria.

The Council members have to work urgently to find political solution to the Syrian conflict, KUNA quoted President of the Council Ambassador Roman Oyarzun, of Spain, as telling reporters following the meeting.

Emphasizing humanity comes first, Oyarzun said the intense consultations dealt with the announcement by the Syrian army of suspension of the combat operations in eastern Aleppo to allow the evacuation of trapped civilians.

On his part, the UN envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said he had a feeling during the meeting that there was a sense of unity in the Council.

He told reporters that the priority are the “Syrian Aleppo people,” and how the civilians and how they are properly assisted in the right way.

The UN official stressed that it is also important that when the civilians “voluntarily decide to move,” they should be provided with protection and shelter as well as proper humanitarian aid.

He said that he also raised to the Council the fact that now is the time to look seriously at the possibility of renewal of the political discussions.

However, he stressed on the US-Russian meeting on Saturday that will discuss the possibility of “voluntarily” evacuation of fighters from Eastern Aleppo, and emphasizing “not only the Al-Nusra (Front).”

Prior to the meeting, de Mistura told reporters on his way in that he plans to meet “people around the team” of the US President-elect Donald Trump, and discuss the Syrian matter.

Earlier in Geneva, UN Senior Adviser Jan Egeland reported that the Syrian Government had approved a plan for access of aid to 800,000 of the 930,000 people that the UN is trying to reach and that, for the first time, eastern Aleppo is on the list of approved places.

He acknowledged, however, that there has been a greater possibility of crossing a stable front line in November, when the UN was refused access. (T/R07/R01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)