Transcript of UN Security Council stakeout by the Permanent Representatives of New Zealand and Spain on the humanitarian situation in Syria

11 January 2016, New York

http://webtv.un.org/media/

Gerard van Bohemen (New Zealand): New Zealand and Spain asked for the item on humanitarian assistance in Syria to be put on the agenda of the Council today because we were very concerned about reports you’ve all seen of starvation in Madaya in particular. There was a good briefing from Under-Secretary-General Stephen O’Brien, I imagine he’ll be coming out in a while, he is just briefing on Yemen.

There was concern of all Council members at the humanitarian situation. People were very pleased that the convoys have got through today and we were briefed on the state of the populous, as the convoy chief reported back to Mr O’Brien - things are in a very bad way and my colleague Roman has something to say about one particular aspect of that.

As everybody said, this has to be just the start, it can’t be just a one-off situation. To allow humanitarian relief is an obligation under international humanitarian law. So we’re calling on all concerned to facilitate humanitarian access throughout Syria, it is absolutely essential.

We recognise that a political solution is the answer to the wider problem, but humanitarian access cannot be held hostage to the politics.

Roman Oyarzun Marchesi (Spain): As the Ambassador of New Zealand made very clear, Spain and New Zealand did ask for this ‘any other business’ today. I think that you are all aware that we are talking about 400,000 people living under besieged areas in Syria.

It’s not only about Madaya, in Madaya we have 42,000 people – it’s also about many other besieged areas by Daesh and other groups that we have to take care of.

I think that the meeting today has been an important one in the sense that we did ask for this ‘any other business’ on Thursday and we’ve seen that the reaction from the Syrian Government has been a positive one in the sense that they have released some humanitarian aid.

It is important to note that besieging with the goal of starvation is a war crime and does go against international law. We cannot consent that. So we are going to follow up this issue very closely, I won’t so day by day, I will say on an hour basis.

Today we saw a very important request by Stephen O’Brien, it is about 400 people in Madaya in a very critical situation, if they’re not evacuatedtonight, the situation will be more than dramatic tomorrow.

This is what New Zealand and Spain wanted to share with you, the press and I’d like to thank you all for following this dramatic situation so closely.

Question: Could you explain those 400 people, is it because of the effects of starvation, medical emergency, why do they need to be brought out?

Gerard van Bohemen (New Zealand): We were just told they need medical evacuation on an urgent basis, tonight and so they want permission from the Government of Syria to let those people out.

Question: The Syrian Ambassador spoke here two hours ago and said there was no starvation in Madaya and that the problem there was that the armed groups were taking food from the UN and the Red Crescent and putting it in warehouses and selling it at exorbitant prices that civilians couldn’t pay. Did you come away from this convinced that there is starvation in Madaya?

Roman Oyarzun Marchesi (Spain): The truth is if you analyse the numbers, the numbers show that the flow of humanitarian aid in Madaya and other besieged areas has been very low. The numbers that we have heard today, talking about 4% of all requests, so if only 4% authorised during 2015, that means that 96% of that humanitarian aid is not reaching those people that most need it.

Gerard van Bohemen (New Zealand): The briefing we got was that there is definitely a situation, people are in a dire situation in Madaya, as seen by the convoy when they arrived.

Question: Since you’re taking the lead on the humanitarian situation in Syria, do you think besieged areas needs a special product from the Security Council?

Gerard van Bohemen (New Zealand): It has a special product already. Resolution 2258 which we renewed last year deals precisely with this situation and has strengthened language on access to besieged and hard to reach areas. We have all the legal requirements needed; it’s now action on the ground that is required.

Roman Oyarzun Marchesi (Spain): I would like to totally underline that last sentence. We have enough Security Council resolutions; we have enough humanitarian law to facilitate full access off humanitarian aid in besieged areas. We need no more Security Council resolutions, they are already there.

Question: These 400 people requiring urgent evacuation, are they known non-combatant civilians?

Gerard van Bohemen (New Zealand): We were simply briefed on fact that there are 400 in urgent need of evacuation tonight, I can’t go into any more detail because that’s all I know.

Thank you.

[ENDS]

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