17/09/2018
17/09/2018
GENEVA, Sept 17, (Agencies): Kuwait called on Monday on the international community to take an immediate action to stop war and humanitarian crimes in Syria. In a speech he delivered before the United Nation Security Council’s 39th session for human rights, Kuwait Permanent Envoy to the UN and international organizations in Geneva, Ambassador Jamal Al-Ghunaim, said, “We were shocked by the huge number of displaced people leaving their homes because of war in Syria”. More than one million people have moved from their homelands in Syrian since six months ago and have been living, since then, in hard conditions; amid fears more people will be displaced from Idlib in northwest Syria. Ambassador Al-Ghunaim stressed on importance of taking into consideration content of a report by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic (established on Aug 22, 2011, by the United Nations Human Rights Council). The report warned that any new military operation in Idlib would lead to a catastrophic human crisis that would affect more than three million people. Half number of the displaced Syrians have been accommodated in an inappropriate school building, while others are living in crowded shelters that lack minimum basic services, Ambassador Al-Ghunaim added. According to Kuwait’s commitments to international laws and agreements, he called for paying more attention to humanitarian needs such as allowing safe and sustainable access to humanitarian, medical aid and preventing blockade of residential areas. The State of Kuwait strongly condemns organized and dangerous human violations facing Syrian people in their country, he said. He expressed Kuwait’s rejection of continued and deliberate attacks on innocent civilians, use of prohibited weapons, committing crimes against humanity, which constitute flagrant violations of the international law and human rights. He condemned repeated attacks on medical facilities, infrastructure, as well as indiscriminate use of heavy weapons and aerial bombardment, victims of which are often innocent civilians. In the same context, Ambassador Al-Ghunaim explained the role played by Kuwait, as a member in the Security Council, to reach a mechanism to improve humanitarian status in Syria by unanimously adopting Resolution 2401 in February, expressing disappointment over failure to implement this resolution in full. He renewed Kuwait’s call for a free and unhindered access of the United Nations and humanitarian bodies to all Syrian areas, including immediate access to beleaguered regions to deliver humanitarian aid to civilians. “Based on the principle of brotherly responsibility towards the Syrian people, who have been experiencing an unprecedented humanitarian tragedy in modern history, Kuwait’s diplomacy has organized three international donors’ conferences to support Syria and has co-chaired other conferences in London and Brussels,” he pointed out. He referred to the call by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah to adopt training programs supporting children and youth among displaced Syrians to face burdens of life and help them shape their future. Al-Ghunaim appealed to all countries that have made pledges in the six conferences to honor their obligations and support the brotherly Syrian people. He concluded his speech by calling on the UN Human Rights Council to stop further humanitarian repercussions, noting that he would look forward to the cooperation of all bodies with the United Nations and the Arab League. The 39th session of the UN Human Rights Council, which began on Sept 10, will continue until the 28th to follow up on various human rights issues.