U.N. Suspends Operations in Syria over Growing Danger

إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية W460

The United Nations on Monday suspended operations in Syria and starting withdrawing non-essential staff because of the growing danger from the country's civil war, the U.N. spokesman said.

The United Nations will "suspend its missions within the country until further notice," U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky told reporters.

Nesirky also confirmed that "the United Nations in Syria will pull out non-essential international personnel with immediate effect."

A quarter of the 100 international staff in Damascus could leave this week and some staff could be moved out of the besieged northern city of Aleppo, the U.N. news agency, IRIN, reported.

The United Nations is worried about the mounting intensity of the 20-month-old conflict between President Bashar Assad's forces and opposition rebels.

It has also acted after U.N. workers were targeted in recent attacks and after the United States warned Assad earlier Monday against any bid to unleash chemical weapons on the Syrian people.

Two U.N. convoys en route to Damascus airport were hit by gunfire last week. Four Austrian military observers from a U.N. force in the Golan Heights demilitarized zone between Syria and Israel were wounded in the attacks.

U.N. sources said aid convoys have increasingly come under attack, either caught in crossfire or hijacked for the vehicles and their supplies.

The U.N. has more than 1,000 national and international staff in Syria, where activists say more than 40,000 people have died in the conflict since March last year.

The U.N. is maintaining about 10 offices in towns around the country -- including Aleppo, Tartus, Lattakia, Homs, Hama and Deraa -- but they will only keep Syrian staff.

The U.N. will relocate some offices located in more dangerous parts of Damascus, IRIN, which is part of the U.N.'s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, reported.

"Offices are also stocking up on water and non-perishable food items and reviewing their exit routes," it added.

"The security situation has become extremely difficult, including in Damascus," Radhouane Nouicer, regional humanitarian coordinator in Syria was quoted as saying by IRIN.

"For as long as international humanitarian law is not fully observed by all parties to this conflict and for as long as the safety of humanitarian workers is not strictly secured, U.N. agencies have to review the size of their presence in the country as well as the way they deliver humanitarian aid," Nouicer added.

Eight U.N. staff have been killed since the beginning of the conflict, most caught up in strife, according to IRIN. Eighteen Syrian Arab Red Crescent volunteers have also been killed, seven of whom died while on duty.

Most aid is now channeled through the Red Crescent.

Damascus airport was closed down several times last week because of rebel attacks. "On one occasion, U.N. staff who had just landed were stuck inside the airport while clashes took place outside," the U.N. news agency added.

"The situation is significantly changing," said Sabir Mughal, U.N. chief security adviser in Syria. "There is an increased risk for humanitarians as a result of indiscriminate shooting or clashes between the parties."

Mughal said the U.N. needs more armored vehicles in Syria.

U.N. officials say they face growing obstacles because of the safety risks and the layers of clearances required to travel from the Syrian government and U.N. administration.

U.N. security considered routes such as Damascus to Homs and Homs to Aleppo to dangerous to use for most of November, IRIN reported.

It said that of the U.N.'s 156 official road missions in November, 97 were to take staff to the airport or to the Lebanese and Jordanian borders, and just 59 were field visits.

Many of the U.N.'s 48 armored vehicles in Syria are out of service and it can take months to get spare parts from abroad, the agency added.

The World Food Program (WFP) is increasing the number of armored vehicles in Syria so it can maintain operations, Kate Newton, deputy country director of WFP, told IRIN.

Comments 0