Ban Ki-moon: Starving the People in Syria is a War Crime

The Secretary-General of the United Nations has warned that parties causing famine in Syria, including the government of that country which bears primary responsibility towards its citizens, are committing war crimes. Western powers have called for a United Nations Security Council meeting on Friday, January 15, to expedite emergency aid for the people of Madaya and two Shiite-majority towns. A new convoy of aid for the starving Syrians at risk of death has also been sent. Madaya is under siege by forces loyal to the Syrian government. Kefraya and Foua have also been under siege by a group of rebels opposing Bashar al-Assad for nearly a year. Images and reports from famine-stricken areas in Syria depict a dire situation that has faced international criticism. Since December, more than 20 people in Madaya have died solely due to hunger. Reports indicate that people have resorted to eating tree leaves or cats. A Syrian girl in Madaya is waiting with her mother for permission to leave the city. Ban Ki-moon stated on January 14 to reporters, "All parties, including the Syrian government which has primary responsibility towards Syrians, are committing ruthless acts that are contrary to international humanitarian law." A spokesperson for the International Red Cross also informed reporters that 44 trucks carrying food aid and other essential needs have entered Madaya, and another 17 trucks have reached Kefraya and Foua. Pavel Krizhek, a spokesperson for this organization, told Agence France-Presse that the priority in the aid sent is wheat flour and cleaning materials. Efforts to provide aid to famine-stricken areas in Syria have also taken a diplomatic turn; on Thursday, John Kerry, the U.S. Secretary of State, in a phone call with his Russian counterpart, urged Moscow to pressure the Syrian government to allow more aid to reach the people of that country, especially in remote and besieged areas. Over the past five years - since the beginning of the Syrian civil war - international and supranational organizations have repeatedly warned about the occurrence of war crimes, both by the government and by the opposing rebels, as well as by foreign countries. The use of chemical weapons against people, beheadings and amputations, mass killings, airstrikes with barrels filled with explosives in residential areas, or starving civilians are all part of the issues that have become prevalent in Syria over the past five years. In this context, the Syrian government has agreed to assist cities at risk of mass death. Humanitarian aid convoys have entered Madaya in Syria. The foreign ministers of the U.S. and Russia are discussing Syria.