SYRIA/UNITED KINGDOM: As government forces continued to shell the besieged city of Homs, United Nations' humanitarian chief Valerie Amos says she's still waiting for permission to visit Damascus

Record ID: 280283

  • Title: SYRIA/UNITED KINGDOM: As government forces continued to shell the besieged city of Homs, United Nations' humanitarian chief Valerie Amos says she's still waiting for permission to visit Damascus
  • Date: 25th February 2012
  • Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FEBRUARY 24, 2012) (REUTERS) SOUNDBITE (English) UNITED NATIONS HUMANITARIAN CHIEF, VALERIE AMOS, SAYING: "From my perspective, what we want to do is to be able to open up that access, to get a pause in the violence or ceasefire or whatever that enables us to get the aid in, to get more partners on the ground that'll be able to help those
  • Embargoed: 11th March 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Syrian Arab Republic, United Kingdom
  • City:
  • Country: Syrian Arab Republic United Kingdom
  • Topics: Conflict,International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA4CDJCBRW4VTM7Q6V2IOZZFVN8
  • Story Text: Amateur video obtained by Reuters appeared to show a mass protest staged in the city of Homs, as government forces continued to shell the besieged Syrian city.
    The footage appeared to show an anti-Assad demonstration taking place in Homs on Friday (February 24), the same day that Western and Arab powers were meeting in Tunis to demand that Syrian authorities allow immediate access for aid to the cities of Homs, Deraa, Zabadani "and other areas under siege", according to an updated draft declaration obtained by Reuters.
    Reuters cannot independently verify the contents of the video which was obtained from the social media website Bambuser.com.
    The United Nations' humanitarian chief Valerie Amos said on Friday she was still waiting for permission from the Syrian authorities to visit Damascus to seek access for humanitarian relief.
    U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said on Wednesday (February 22) he would dispatch Amos to Syria "soon" to try to secure access for aid workers, but Amos said Damascus had yet to respond, despite a worsening humanitarian situation.
    Amos told Reuters in London that she was "ready to go at a moment's notice."
    Thousands of civilians have been killed in a crackdown on a near year-old uprising against President Bashar al-Assad. The city of Homs has been subjected to a sustained bombardment by Assad's forces for three weeks.
    "II do think that the situation is deteriorating. We all see those terrible pictures on our television screens. It's clear that people are hurt, that they're running out of food, that healthcare is becoming a problem. We have cities that appear to be under siege, and what we're desperate to do is to try to get a proper assessment of what's going on, so we can get urgently needed supplies in," she said.
    Amos added that Russia and China, which vetoed a U.N. resolution condemning the crackdown by the Assad government, could help the drive to gain access for emergency relief.
    "Well, of course Russia and China could use the links they have with the Syrian authorities to persuade them that a visit from me would be helpful, that opening up access on the humanitarian side would also be helpful while these political discussions continue," she said.
    The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Friday it also had not had any reply from Syrian authorities on its request for a truce to allow in aid supplies and evacuate the wounded.
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