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Omaha Steve

(99,505 posts) Sat Jun 21, 2014, 10:24 AM Jun 2014

UN says 10.8 million Syrians need humanitarian aid

Source: AP-Excite

By EDITH M. LEDERER

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The humanitarian situation in Syria is worsening and the number of people needing urgent help has reached 10.8 million — almost half of Syria's population of 22 million, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Friday.

Ban's monthly report to the U.N. Security Council said the current estimate of 3.5 million people living in areas that are difficult or impossible for humanitarian workers to reach is also likely to have increased to 4.7 million people.

The U.N. chief painted a grim picture of a country gripped by severe levels of violence, including the intensified use of barrel bombs by government forces against civilian areas and suicide attacks, reported executions and other acts of terrorism by extremist groups.

As a result, Ban said, the number of people in need has increased by 17 percent — from 9.3 million to 10.8 million.

FULL story at link.

Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20140621/un-united-nations-syria-humanitarian-a0beb3eedf.html

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon speaks to the media during a press conference at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, on Tuesday, June 17, 2014. (AP Photo/Keystone,Salvatore Di Nolfi)

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UN says 10.8 million Syrians need humanitarian aid (Original Post) Omaha Steve Jun 2014 OP

Now I know it is not all their fault but w, Cheney, & Rummy just had to get into ... Botany Jun 2014 #1

We need to be careful that humanitarian aid doesn't become a cover for foreign intervention. Comrade Grumpy Jun 2014 #2

True. And we should not ignore humanitarian needs in any conflict just because pampango Jun 2014 #3

Botany

(70,449 posts)

1. Now I know it is not all their fault but w, Cheney, & Rummy just had to get into ...

Reply to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Sat Jun 21, 2014, 01:15 PM

Jun 2014

.... the middle east which in turn allowed al Qaeda to move into areas that it was
not a major player in prior to our war in Iraq.

Once again a big thank you to the Supreme Court's bush v Gore ruling.

Comrade Grumpy

(13,184 posts)

2. We need to be careful that humanitarian aid doesn't become a cover for foreign intervention.

Reply to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Sat Jun 21, 2014, 03:19 PM

Jun 2014

Watch out for talk of "humanitarian corridors." Syria will not accept such de facto ceding of its national territory. And it we push it, we will be at war with/in Syria.

pampango

(24,692 posts)

3. True. And we should not ignore humanitarian needs in any conflict just because

Reply to Comrade Grumpy (Reply #2)

Sat Jun 21, 2014, 03:54 PM

Jun 2014

one side or the other or both believe that allowing humanitarian aid jeopardizes some military advantage.

The denial of humanitarian assistance as a crime under international law.

Humanitarian organizations have the right to offer humanitarian aid to States without this being regarded as interference in the internal matters of a State. They further have the right to furnish humanitarian assistance provided that they obtain the consent of the government concerned. Consent must be given when the necessary requirements are fulfilled, i.e., that the international relief operation is of an exclusively humanitarian and impartial nature and conducted without any adverse distinction vis-à-vis those in need. In practice, humanitarian organizations also need the agreement of a non-State party to a conflict which is in de facto control of the territory where the relief operation is to be carried out.

http://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/documents/misc/57jq32.htm

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