UN: Onslaught in Syria may spark humanitarian disaster

The U.N. humanitarian chief urged the Security Council on Tuesday to take action to end the "bloody onslaught" in Syria's last opposition-held stronghold, warning that continued violence could create the worst humanitarian disaster of the 21st century.

An exasperated Mark Lowcock told council members they have ignored previous pleas to stop the bombing and shelling in Idlib province by Syrian and Russian warplanes and "done nothing for 90 days as the carnage continues in front of your eyes." "Are you again going to shrug your shoulders ... or are you going to listen to the children of Idlib, and do something about it?" he asked.

The Security Council has been deeply divided over the Syrian conflict since it began in 2011, with Russia backing the government and Western nations supporting the opposition. That has kept the U.N.'s most powerful body from taking any significant action.

Britain's U.N. Ambassador Karen Pierce told the council that responsibility for its failure to act lies with Russia, Syria and Iran.

What's happening in Idlib "makes a mockery" of the responsibility of the five permanent veto-wielding council members Russia, China, the United States, Britain and France to ensure international peace and security, she said.

Idlib was supposed to be a de-escalation zone under an agreement reached between Russia and Turkey, which backs the opposition. But that deal has all but collapsed since the government launched an offensive on April 30, saying it wanted to get rid of "terrorists" that took refuge there.

Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia responded to what he called "invectives" against Syria and Russia from Britain and others, saying their goal "is to maintain a terrorist presence in Idlib, and in the future to use this presence for the purpose of combatting the legitimate Syrian authorities."
He said parties to the conflict have been notified of six different attacks in northwest Syria this year, and that "in the current environment de-confliction is not proving effective in helping to protect those who utilize the system." Lowcock said his team will meet with humanitarian organizations "to update them on the current situation and determine again whether we should continue to provide information to the parties on new sites or humanitarian movements."