UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley called for an immediate end to the current military escalation in southern Syria. They also called for respect for obligations under international law and international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure.
In a statement on Friday, the UN chief said he was “gravely concerned by the recent military escalation, including ground offensives and aerial bombardments, in southwestern Syria.”
“The attacks have resulted in the displacement of thousands of civilians, the majority of whom are moving towards the Jordanian border, Guterres said.
US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley on Friday urged Russia to pressure the Assad regime to uphold a ceasefire in southwest Syria following escalating attacks on rebel-held areas in the province.
“The Syrian regime’s violations of the ceasefire in southwest Syria need to stop,” said Haley in a statement.
“We expect Russia to do its part to respect and enforce the ceasefire it helped establish, and to use the influence it has to stop the Syrian regime’s violations and any further destabilizing actions in the southwest and throughout Syria.”
“Russia will ultimately bear responsibility for any further escalations in Syria,” the US diplomat added.
The Syrian Negotiations Commission condemned the assault by the Assad regime and its allied militias on Dara’a, calling on the UN Security Council and the international community to shoulder their responsibilities towards the regime’s plans.
In comments posted on Twitter on Friday, Head of the Commission Nasr al-Hariri called on guarantors of the ‘de-escalation’ zones agreement in southern Syria, the United Nations, and the UN Security Council to shoulder their responsibilities and to put an immediate end to Assad’s military campaign.
The European Union on Friday condemned the ongoing onslaught by the Assad regime on Dara’a, calling on Assad’s allies of Damascus to stop hostilities to avoid a humanitarian disaster in the area. The current assault have so far resulted in the displacement of tens of thousands of civilians over the past three few days. The EU stressed that the regime’s offensive threatens the lives of more than 750,000 people in the region. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department)
