Brussels, 29/02/2012 (Agence Europe) - The Syrian authorities have refused to allow United Nations humanitarian operations chief Baroness Valerie Amos to enter the country “despite my repeated requests to meet Syrian officials at the highest level to discuss the humanitarian situation and the need for unhindered access to the people affected by the violence”, she announced on Wednesday 29 February.
Earlier in the day, France called on Syria to put in place a ceasefire in the district of Baba Amr in order to allow the safe and swift evacuation of journalists Edith Bouvier, wounded on 22 February, and William Daniels. On Tuesday evening Syrian regime security forces launched an assault on the district.
On Tuesday, the Syrian Red Crescent said it, like the International Committee of the Red Cross, had left Homs, having failed to secure agreement with the government on the evacuation of the wounded journalists. (CG/transl.rt)