Egypt calls for activating ceasefire in Syria, allowing medical evacuations
Last week, UN Security Council announced 30- day ceasefire in Syria
Egypt’s permanent delegate to the United Nations Office at Geneva ( UNOG) Alaa Youssef called Friday upon the international community to work seriously and neutrally to activate the United Nations Security Council ( UNSC) resolution for a ceasefire in Syria.
During delivering Egypt’s speech before the urgent meeting of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, regarding the situation in eastern Ghouta, Youssef said that halting all violent actions is the basis of restoring stability in Syria, as well as applying UNSC Resolution 2401 for a 30- day ceasefire across Syria, to allow for aid deliveries and medical evacuations to take place.
He further called for reaching an intensive armistice in the entire country in preparation for a political settlement in Syria.
Egypt previously expressed its deep concern over the latest updates in eastern Ghouta in Syria, and its serious consequences on the humanitarian situation and the situation of civilians there. It called for an armistice to permit humanitarian aid to enter the region, al- low the injured to leave, and to avoid a serious humanitarian catastrophe.
The UNSC resolution calling for a 30- day ceasefire was drafted a week ago by Sweden and Kuwait, two nonpermanent members of the council.
The UNSC approved the resolu- tion unanimously after it was delayed by more than 24 hours because of disagreements between Russia and other Security Council members over its wording.
Despite the resolution, all parties in the Syrian conflict, including the Syrian government, Russia, Turkey, and Iran, ignored its calls, saying it does not apply in the region under their control.
Moreover, the Middle East director of the United Nations Children’s Fund ( UNICEF), Geert Cappelaere said on Friday that the Syrian regime may allow an aid convoy with supplies for 180,000 people to enter the town of Douma in eastern Ghouta on Sunday. He added there were initial agreements for further convoys to serve more of the enclave’s 400,000 people, but no agreement has been reached on the evacuation of some 1,000 people in dire medical need.