U.N. special envoy to Syria suggests sending team to Aleppo to assess hospital damage
Record ID:
78176
U.N. special envoy to Syria suggests sending team to Aleppo to assess hospital damage
- Title: U.N. special envoy to Syria suggests sending team to Aleppo to assess hospital damage
- Date: 20th November 2016
- Summary: DAMASCUS, SYRIA (NOVEMBER 20, 2016) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF DE MISTURA ARRIVING AT PODIUM FOR NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.N. SPECIAL ENVOY TO SYRIA, STAFFAN DE MISTURA, SAYING: "Since we do have a difference of opinion between the minister, Muallem, saying there is a total denial of any aerial bombing of hospitals in eastern Aleppo, and our point of view that indicates that there have been tragic bombing of hospital in eastern Aleppo and elsewhere, frankly, then perhaps we should be allowed to send a verification team on the U.N. side and made by U.N. and other partners to verify the damage of the hospitals in both east and west Aleppo." JOURNALISTS U.N. FLAG (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.N. SPECIAL ENVOY TO SYRIA, STAFFAN DE MISTURA, SAYING: "[As] you heard from minister Muallem and I respect his point of view but I can maintain mine. (INTERPRETER SPEAKING) We have a substantial difference. (INTERPRETER SPEAKING) The government, through minister Muallem, categorically directly rejected the idea of maintaining the current local administration. (INTERPRETER SPEAKING) My answer was: I respect the total principle which no one inside U.N. and outside the U.N. should put in doubt, of national sovereignty of Syria. On the other hand Aleppo is a special case, eastern Aleppo is a special case and all this can be temporary but needs to be having a creative formula. (INTERPRETER SPEAKING) And that is exactly where we left it, in other words by discussing that fact that there could be some type of creative formula, because there is a need to find a solution to this disagreement." DE MISTURA LEAVING
- Embargoed: 5th December 2016 16:35
- Keywords: Syria hospitals UN envoy Aleppo Mistura
- Location: DAMASCUS, SYRIA
- City: DAMASCUS, SYRIA
- Country: Syria
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,International/National Security
- Reuters ID: LVA0025990SAV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: EDIT CONTAINS MATERIAL WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY 4:3
The United Nations secretary general's Syria envoy, Staffan De Mistura, proposed to send a U.N. verification team to Aleppo to assess the damage in hospitals in eastern and western Aleppo on Sunday (November 20).
De Mistura's comments came after a meeting with Syrian foreign minister Walid al-Muallem, but the U.N. special envoy did not say he had raised the suggestion during talks.
"Since we do have a difference of opinion between the minister, Muallem, saying there is a total denial of any aerial bombing of hospitals in eastern Aleppo, and our point of view that indicates that there have been tragic bombing of hospital in eastern Aleppo and elsewhere, frankly, then perhaps we should be allowed to send a verification team on the U.N. side and made by U.N. and other partners to verify the damage of the hospitals in both east and west Aleppo," De Mistura said.
De Mistura said he had proposed that Damascus should recognise the local administration in rebel-held east Aleppo if jihadist fighters left the city, but Muallem rejected this in a televised news conference.
An elected city council there oversees services and De Mistura said that while he recognised the government's need to maintain sovereignty, Aleppo should be treated as a special case.
Muallem said that the arrangement was intended by rebel groups to control distribution of food and that they were holding the civilians of eastern Aleppo hostage. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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