Senior UN Official: We Are Only Witnessing the Deepening Despair in Syria

The head of humanitarian affairs at the United Nations, who is concluding her mission, stated in her final remarks to the Security Council about the situation in Syria, "No human should endure the current brutality in that country against men, women, and children." Ms. Valerie Amos told the 15 members of the UN Security Council, "For more than four years, we have been observing the deepening despair in Syria; a situation that has surpassed even the threshold of the most optimistic observers." Syria, which gradually entered a widespread war following the suppression of largely peaceful protests against the government of Bashar al-Assad, is now the scene of extremist groups like the 'Islamic State,' which have taken control of not only large parts of the country but also sections of Iraq. More than 220,000 people have been killed in recent years. According to estimates from its population of 23 million, more than 12 million people, including 5 million children, are in need of humanitarian aid and essential supplies. Ms. Amos stated on June 27 that in recent weeks, "we have witnessed increasingly horrific actions." Millions of Syrian citizens have been displaced or fled the country. She referred to recent events, including an airstrike by the Syrian army on a market in the city of Douma, which left up to 50 casualties, and the execution of dozens of civilians by forces of the so-called Islamic State. Ms. Amos added, "Reports of the use of chlorine gas continue to arrive, which reportedly leads to deaths and injuries and terrorizes civilians... Schools and hospitals remain under attack." This senior UN official told the Security Council that aid workers have been unable to reach any of the 422,000 Syrian citizens who were under attack in April. According to AFP, she acknowledged that "there is no easy answer to solve the problems," but "we cannot leave Syria in despair and let its misery continue." Five million Syrian children need assistance. Reuters reports that Bashar Jaafari, the representative of the central Syrian government at the United Nations, rejected Valerie Amos's criticisms of that government. In her final remarks, Ms. Amos stated, "For the sake of Syria and for the sake of its future generations, this council must put aside political differences and unite to find a solution to a problem that seems to be spiraling out of control." So far, global efforts for peace negotiations between the Bashar al-Assad government and its opponents and for finding a solution that would end the Syrian civil war have been fruitless. Meanwhile, during this time, the influence and power of extremist groups have also increased. In this context, the 'Islamic State' has strengthened its control at the Iraq-Syria border. ISIS has killed "400 people," including women and children, in Palmyra. The leader of the al-Qaeda branch in Syria stated: "Our intention is to conquer Damascus."