Syria: UN chief calls on warring parties to put cessation of hostilities 'back on track'

May 03, 2016, at 12:59 pm

New York, May 3 (Just Earth News/IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on the warring Syrian sides to immediately recommit to the cessation of hostilities and uphold their responsibility to protect civilians, his spokesman said on Monday.

'Monstrous disregard' for civilians, says UN rights chief, as hospitals bombed in Syria

Apr 30, 2016, at 01:21 pm

New York, Apr 30 (Just Earth News/IBNS): The United Nations human rights chief on Friday said that the latest reports of civilian deaths and injuries in Syria, including bombings of marketplaces and medical facilities, reveal a “monstrous disregard for civilian lives by all parties to the conflict,” calling for urgent action by all relevant actors to resolve to help the people of Syria.

Syria: Airstrike destroys MSF-supported hospital in Aleppo killing 14

Apr 30, 2016, at 02:04 am

Aleppo, Apr 29 (IBNS) The bombing of the MSF-supported Al Quds hospital in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo on Wednesday night has killed at least 14 people, including at least two doctors, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said on Friday.

Syria: human toll and suffering are 'sickening,’ UN relief chief tells Security Council

Apr 29, 2016, at 01:42 pm

New York, Apr 29 (Just Earth News/IBNS): With hundreds of thousands of civilians killed, millions of people displaced and countless families torn apart, the UN relief chief on Thursday described the human toll and suffering in Syria as “sickening,” and said the global community should be “ashamed” that this is happening on its watch.

UNESCO team assesses damages to Syria's Palmyra world heritage site

Apr 28, 2016, at 01:31 pm

New York, Apr 28 (Just Earth News/IBNS): The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has completed a visit to the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria as part of a technical rapid assessment mission to take preliminary stock of destruction at the World Heritage site.

Syria peace talks to continue ‘as planned’ into next week – UN envoy

Apr 23, 2016, at 01:46 pm

New York, Apr 23 (Just Earth News/IBNS): The UN envoy mediating a resolution to the crisis in Syria on Friday announced that the latest round of peace talks will continue as planned through Wednesday, despite reports that the opposition delegation could suspend its official participation due to the lack of progress on the humanitarian front.

Syria: UN envoy to 'take stock' of peace talks by week's end

Apr 19, 2016, at 02:16 pm

New York, Apr 19 (Just Earth News/IBNS): Following reports that the opposition delegation had announced a pause in the intra-Syrian talks under way at United Nations Headquarters in Geneva, the UN envoy mediating a resolution to the crisis said on Monday that he plans on continuing discussions with all sides and take stock of the situation on Friday.

‘We need improvement,’ on humanitarian access, says UN envoy for Syria

Apr 15, 2016, at 01:34 pm

New York, Apr 15 (Just Earth News/IBNS):The day after a new round of intra-Syrian talks began in Geneva, the United Nations envoy mediating a solution to the crisis reported on Thursday on the latest humanitarian assessment, stressing the need for improvement amidst a picture that is frustrating but not “completely negative.”

As new round of talks begins, UN envoy for Syria says cessation of hostilities must ‘continue to give hope’

Apr 14, 2016, at 09:16 am

New York, Apr 14 (Just Earth News/IBNS): On the first day of a new round of peace talks to end the five-year conflict in Syria, the UN mediator on the crisis emphasized that despite the cessation of hostilities still holding, he is concerned about the deterioration of the security situation in some locations.

Next round of Intra-Syrian talks planned for 13 April – UN envoy

Apr 08, 2016, at 12:42 pm

New York, Apr 8 (Just Earth News/IBNS): The United Nations mediator on the crisis in Syria said on Thursday that the next round of the peace talks will likely begin on Wednesday, 13 April, and is intended to be a concrete discussion leading to “a real beginning of a political transition.”

Syria: UN advisor warns of 'lost momentum' and frustration in humanitarian access talks

Apr 02, 2016, at 01:49 pm

New York, Apr 2 (Just Earth News/IBNS): Diplomats are “very frustrated” about not being able to keep the early momentum in the humanitarian track of the intra-Syrian talks, a United Nations humanitarian mediator has warned.

Grim conditions in Syria despite greater access, UN aid chief warns Security Council

Mar 31, 2016, at 02:05 pm

New York, Mar 31 (Just Earth News/IBNS): There are signs of humanitarian progress in Syria with more aid reaching those in urgent need, but conditions remain “dire” throughout the country with only 30 per cent of people in besieged areas reached and even fewer in hard-to-reach areas, the top United Nations humanitarian official said.

UNESCO chief welcomes the liberation of Syria's Palmyra world heritage site

Mar 25, 2016, at 01:24 pm

New York, Mar 25 (Just Earth News/IBNS):The head of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on Thursday welcomed the liberation of the Palmyra archeological site, a martyr city inscribed on the agency's World Heritage list.

Medical relief ‘single most difficult issue’ for humanitarian access in Syria – UN advisor

Mar 18, 2016, at 03:12 pm

New York, Mar 18 (Just Earth News/IBNS):The advisor to the UN envoy on Syria on Thursday stressed the need to obtain Government permits to dispatch aid convoys to the remaining six of the 18 besieged locations and stressed that “the issue of medical relief continues to be the single most difficult issue in humanitarian access work,” with medical ite and personnel are being taken off the incoming relief vehicles.

Syria: Water restored in Aleppo after a 48-day shutdown, UNICEF reports

Mar 08, 2016, at 02:37 pm

New York, Mar 8 (Just Earth News/IBNS): A facility that provides drinking water to more than two million people in and around the Syrian city of Aleppo has resumed its operations over the weekend, following a 48-day deliberate shutdown, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) reported.

Syria: UN-mediated peace talks to resume on 9 March

Mar 02, 2016, at 02:39 pm

New York, Mar 2 (Just Earth News/IBNS): The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura on Tuesday announced that intra-Syrian peace talks he has been mediating in Geneva will resume next Wednesday, 9 March.

UN warns of imminent humanitarian crisis in Greece amid disarry in Europe over asylum

Mar 02, 2016, at 02:36 pm

New York, Mar 2 (Just Earth News/IBNS): Europe faces an imminent humanitarian crisis, largely of its own making, following a rapid build-up of people in already over-stretched Greece, the United Nations refugee agency warned on Tuesday.

Syria: UN agency restores full rations thanks to boost in donor funding

Mar 01, 2016, at 02:58 pm

New York, Mar 1 (Just Earth News/IBNS): The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) announced on Monday that new funding pledged during a conference in London earlier this month will enable the agency to fully reinstate its food assistance to Syrians.

Syria: 2 killed in explosion

Feb 27, 2016, at 09:53 pm

Salamia, Feb 26 (IBNS) At least two people were killed as massive explosion hit Salamia city in Syria, a monitor said.

Humanitarian and ceasefire tracks for Syria 'moving in the right direction' – UN envoy

Feb 26, 2016, at 03:20 pm

New York, Feb 26 (Just Earth News/IBNS) – International task forces established to ensure unimpeded humanitarian access and a ceasefire in Syria “are moving in the right direction,” a United Nations mediator said on Thursday, ahead of a Friday deadline to accept a truce.

Russian airstrikes kill 20 militants allied to IS in Aleppo countryside

Feb 25, 2016, at 01:18 am

Aleppo, Feb 24 (Just Earth News/IBNS) : At least 20 militants in a faction allied to IS were killed during aerial bombardment by Russian warplanes in Khanaser town of Syria, a monitor group said.

Syria ‘reduced to ruins,’ with civilians paying the biggest price, says UN human rights panel

Feb 23, 2016, at 03:42 pm

New York, Feb 23 (Just Earth News/IBNS) As the Syrian conflict is entering its sixth year, civilians are bearing the brunt of intensifying hostilities conducted by an ever-increasing number of warring parties, with aerial bombardments by pro-Government forces leaving “few safe places,” a new United Nations-mandated report has found.

Syria: head of panel for joint UN body says chemical weapons probing to begin in March

Feb 23, 2016, at 03:35 pm

New York, Feb 23 (Just Earth News/IBNS) The head of a United Nations-mandated body tasked with identifying those behind chemical weapons attacks in the Syrian civil war said on Monday that preliminary work on seven potential cases has been nearly concluded and that in-depth investigations will begin in March.

Syria: humanitarian air drops ‘still in the planning stage’ – UN agency

Feb 20, 2016, at 03:03 pm

New York, Feb 20 (Just Earth News/IBNS) Following a humanitarian breakthrough in delivering aid to a Syrian town inaccessible for more than 18 months, the United Nations food relief agency is now planning possible air-drops for 200,000 people in the Deir ez-Zor area besieged by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL/Da’esh.

Syria: Civilians under relentless attack

Feb 19, 2016, at 10:02 pm

New York, Feb 19 (IBNS) Civilians are under relentless attack in Syria’s five-year-old conflict, with 1.9 million people under siege, borders closed to refugees and rampant bombings of medical facilities and heavily populated areas, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) warned on Friday, calling on UN Security Council member states – specifically France, Russia, UK and US as active participants in the Syrian conflict – to abide by resolutions they have passed to halt the carnage and ensure that their allies are applying due protection of civilians and avoidance of conflict in or over civilian areas.

Syria: humanitarian air drops ‘very concrete proposal,’ says UN envoy

Feb 19, 2016, at 03:03 pm

New York, Feb 19 (Just Earth News/IBNS) As United Nations inter-agency convoys completed the delivery of humanitarian aid to more than 80,000 Syrians in five besieged towns, the UN Special Envoy for Syria on Thursday said the idea of air drops to locations that have yet to be reached “has become a very concrete proposal.”

Syria: UN mediator intends to resume Geneva talks next week

Feb 17, 2016, at 03:18 pm

New York, Feb 17 (Just Earth News/IBNS) After differences between Government and opposition delegations on the priority of humanitarian issues forced a pause in the Intra-Syrian talks earlier this month, the United Nations envoy mediating the discussions has said he intends to resume them by 25 February, and earlier if possible, a UN spokesperson announced on Wednesday.

Syria: UN 'gravely concerned' over repeated attacks on hospitals, school

Feb 17, 2016, at 03:01 pm

New York, Feb 17 (Just Earth News/IBNS) The United Nations human rights office on Tuesday expressed grave concern over airstrikes on Mondayin Syria that hit at least four hospitals and a school, reportedly killing more than 45 people and injuring dozens of others.

Syria: Russian aerial bombardment kills 5 civilians

Feb 16, 2016, at 08:59 pm

Al-Herak, Feb 16 (IBNS) Russian airstrikes has targeted Al-Herak town in Syria which left five people killed, reports said.

Syria: for first time in months, UN agency delivers aid to residents of Yarmouk camp

Feb 15, 2016, at 01:53 pm

New York, Feb 15 (Just Earth News/IBNS) The United Nations relief agency charged with the well-being of Palestinian refugees across the Middle East has been able to deliver urgently needed humanitarian supplies to the civilian residents of the besieged refugee camp of Yarmouk, on the outskirts Damascus, for the first time in nine months.