SYRIA: The United Nations humanitarian chief, Valerie Amos, visits a Syrian Red Crescent centre near the capital, Damascus

Record ID: 280401

  • Title: SYRIA: The United Nations humanitarian chief, Valerie Amos, visits a Syrian Red Crescent centre near the capital, Damascus
  • Date: 9th March 2012
  • Summary: ZAHIRA (NEAR DAMASCUS), SYRIA (MARCH 8, 2012) (REUTERS) CONVOY OF U.N. UNDER-SECRETARY FOR HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS, VALERIE AMOS, ARRIVING AT RED CRESCENT CENTRE AMOS SHAKING HANDS WITH SYRIAN RED CRESCENT PRESIDENT, ABDUL RAHMAN AL-ATTAR VARIOUS OF AMOS AND ATTAR ENTERING THE BUILDING (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.N. UNDER-SECRETARY FOR HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS, VALERIE AMOS, SAY
  • Embargoed: 24th March 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Syrian Arab Republic
  • Country: Syria
  • Topics: Conflict
  • Reuters ID: LVA6F7NSPP4CBW2NDT8DYCUAJ8OL
  • Story Text: U.N. humanitarian chief Valerie Amos visited Syrian Red Crescent on Thursday (March 8) in Zahira, near Damascus.
    Amos arrived in the country on a three-day mission to try to persuade authorities to grant unhindered access for aid workers to deliver life-saving assistance to civilians.
    Amos, a Briton, is the first senior international figure to visit Baba Amr since the government launched its assault against opponents of President Bashar al-Assad.
    Syria initially refused to grant Amos access to the country but relented after its allies Russia and China joined the rest of the U.N. Security Council in rebuking it.
    After her meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem on Wednesday (March 7), a Syrian aide said the minister had told Amos she would be able to go anywhere in the country she wished to.
    Amos' goal is to secure access for aid organizations, which have been barred from the heaviest conflict zones.
    "I'm now waiting to hear from the government with respect to a proposal that we discussed yesterday with respect to having the opportunity to do assessments in terms of a number of areas", Amos said from the Syrian Red Crescent centre.
    Amos said earlier on Thursday that the Baba Amr district of the Syrian city of Homs was devastated by an assault by government forces and the fate of people who live there was unclear.
    Rebel fighters fled Homs a week ago after nearly a month of shelling by government forces.
    Activists reported reprisals in Baba Amr by Assad loyalists after the rebels withdrew. Syrian Arab Red Crescent aid workers who entered Baba Amr on Wednesday found it empty.
    The United Nations estimates that more than 7,500 civilians have been killed in the government's year-long crackdown on an anti-Assad uprising around the country while the Syrian government say more than 2,000 members of the army and security forces had been killed in armed attacks
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