United Nations: Syria’s government warned the UN Security Council on Saturday that delivering humanitarian aid across its borders into rebel-held areas without its consent would amount to an attack, suggesting it would have the right to retaliate against convoys.
As the veto-wielding members of the council — US, Britain, France, China and Russia — negotiate a draft resolution to boost aid access, Syria circulated to the 15-member council a letter from dozens of Arab and Syrian lawyers.
The letter argues against a bid by Western states for the resolution to be Chapter 7, which would make it legally binding and enforceable with military action or other coercive measures such as sanctions.
“Importing aid in coordination with terrorist organisations and without consultation with the Syrian state would amount to an attack on the Syrian state and on its territorial integrity and political independence,” the lawyers wrote in the letter that was sent to the United Nations by Syrian U.N. Ambassador Bashar Ja’afari.
Meanwhile, UN chief Ban Ki-moon said on Saturday that The number of Syrians in urgent need of humanitarian aid has jumped to 10.8 million. In his monthly report to the UNSC, Mr ki-Moon said that a total of 4.7 million Syrians are now in areas that are “difficult or impossible” for humanitarian workers to reach, including 241,000 in besieged areas. The report warned that advances made by ISIL in Iraq would further worsen the situation in Syria.
