The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is alarmed by the aerial attacks on population centers and civilian infrastructure in the provinces of Hama and Idlib resulting in hundreds of civilian dead and injured and over 150,000 newly displaced persons.
On 5 May, three health facilities were reportedly hit by airstrikes, bringing the total to at least seven struck since 28 April. Nine schools have reportedly been hit since 30 April, and schools in many areas have been closed until further notice, said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday.
The Secretary-General is following with great concern the intensifying hostilities in the de-escalation area of northwestern Syria, Dujarric added.
“The Secretary-General urges all parties to uphold international humanitarian law and protect civilians.”
Dujarric added: “He calls for an urgent de-escalation of the situation as the holy month of Ramadan begins and urges the parties to recommit fully to the ceasefire arrangements of the memorandum signed on 17 September 2018. He urges the Astana guarantors to ensure that this takes place.”
Head of the Syrian Negotiations Commission, Nasr al-Hariri, on Monday said that he is in constant contact with Turkey as a guarantor and key party of the Idlib agreement in order to stop the onslaught on Idlib.
Hariri noted that he is also communicating with the UN Security Council, the United Nations, and the major players to stop the barbaric onslaught and deadly attacks against innocent civilians. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department)
