Brussels, 03/06/2013 (Agence Europe) - Kristalina Georgieva, European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response, who has expressed alarm at the magnitude of the humanitarian crisis in Syria that has already caused over 80,000 fatalities, more than 1.6 million refugees, and left 7 million people dependent on humanitarian aid for their survival, called on Monday on all parties to respect the fundamental rights of the civilian population in order to ensure access by humanitarian support, which is increasingly difficult. Despite the pace with which fighting is increasing in the town of Qusayr in Syria and despite previous calls from the UN and the HCR which have remained unheeded, the commissioner points out that she still has hope they will be heard.
“All right-thinking people will join me in appealing for all parties to this savage conflict to respect the fundamental rights of civilians to safe passage”, Georgieva said, saying all those involved in the fighting have an obligation under international humanitarian law to protect the lives of innocent people. She voiced frustration about the silence over the political vacuum surrounding the civil war, saying: “These appeals have been falling on deaf ears. In a moment like this we must together all raise our voices ever more loudly until our protests can no longer be ignored”. (AN/transl.jl)