UN: Astana process gave gleams of hope on Syrian situation

ASTANA. KAZINFORM - Speaking in the meeting of the Security Council, UN emergency aid coordinator Stephen O'Brien stated that the first signs giving hope for better future for Syria had appeared. In this regard he encouraged that all parties keep the ceasefire regime in the country and the arrangement made in Astana meeting, the UN News Center informed.    

"The recent events on the political arena inspire hope. This week we saw that the participants of long-term armed struggle have showed readiness to leave the past and sat down near each other in Astana. The arrangement of Iran, Russia and Turkey on creation of the tripartite mechanism announced in Astana for observation of observance of a ceasefire regime is also a positive event", - the emergency relief coordinator of the UN told.

He noted that since December 30 the ceasefire regime has been kept, except for some cases of its violation. "For many it has been a very important respite. We will make everything that we can do so that such situation remains in future", - Stephen O'Brien told.

He reminded of the conference which took place last week in Helsinki during which the international community declared their support of Syrians.

"After nearly six years of the pointless and cruel conflict we have seen long-awaited gleams of hope that the sufferings of the Syrian people, maybe, at last, will end. For the last several weeks after the Cease-Fire Agreement came into force on December 30, the death toll and wounded civilians have considerably reduced", - the UN official said.

At the same time, he emphasized that to recover from the crisis ceasefire only isn't enough. Reminding that the situation in Syria remains extremely severe, Stephen O'Brien told the members of council of Safety about the problems with delivery of the humanitarian assistance to Syrians, reminded of the continuing armed conflicts in Vadi-Barad and the military operation in Raqqah, and the consequences of such actions for the civilians.

The Emergency Relief Coordinator urged the SC members to keep obtaining ceasefire regime observance, to put pressure upon the parties so that they provided protection to the civilians and civil infrastructure, cancelled the barbarous blockade of settlements and provided access to the Syrians for humanitarian assistance and supported the efforts on promotion of political process under the auspices of the UN.