Vietnam calls for secure, unobstructed humanitarin access for Syria

New York (VNA) – Ambassador and Deputy Head of the Vietnamese Mission to the UN Pham Hai Anh on August 27 underscored that it is important to provide timely, secure and unobstructed access to humanitarian aids in all areas in Syria to help the war-torn country combat COVID-19.

Speaking at an UN Security Council (UNSC) open video teleconference (VTC) on the situation in Syria, Anh highly spoke highly of the role of the UN and partners in maintaining humanitarian assistance for Syrian people, and called on the international community to provide the country with supports of all kinds, particularly to fight COVID-19.

The meeting was also briefed by the 1718 Sanctions Committee about Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).

The official later highlighted the link between resolving the DPRK’s nuclear weapon issues and ensuring peace and security for a wider region; as well as the significance of dialogues and negotiations to bridge differences and seek long-term solutions for these matters.

The ambassador highly spoke of efforts made by the committee to promptly respond and grant long-term permits to the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the DPRK in a bid to help the country stem the spread of the COVID-19 and deal with aftermaths of natural disasters.

He reiterated Vietnam’s support for nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament, saying Vietnam is committed to implementing the UNSC’s related resolutions and stands ready to contribute to the regional peace and stability.

In his remarks at the virtual event, Ramesh Rajasingham, UN Acting Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, expressed concerns that actual coronavirus cases in Syria far exceed official figures confirmed by the government following reports of healthcare facilities filling up and increasing death notices. The country has so far reported about 2,440 coronavirus cases.

It is even more worrisome that Syria’s healthcare services are scarce and the disease has broken out at densely-populated camps hosting large numbers of displaced people, including many women and children, living in very poor conditions.

UNSC members shared concerns over growing impact of COVID-19 on the socio-economic and humanitarian situation in Syria and emphasised that it is critical to maintain a favourable security environment for continued and unobstructed delivery of humanitarian assistance to all regions in the country.

Syria entered the 10th year of instability and conflict, creating one of the most serious humanitarian crises in history with hundreds of thousands of people injured and millions of others losing homes./.