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United Nations Nations Unies Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL FOR HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY RELIEF COORDINATOR, VALERIE AMOS STATEMENT TO THE SECURITY COUNCIL ON SYRIA New York, 26 June 2014 As delivered Mr. President, This is the fourth briefing to the Council since the adoption of resolution 2139 on humanitarian access issues in Syria. The resolution demanded action by parties to the conflict in a number of areas including ceasing attacks against civilians and doing everything in their power to facilitate rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access to people in need of assistance. With its adoption, we all had hoped for a significant improvement in the situation on the ground. However, I again regret to inform the Council that violence and attacks on civilians by all parties to the conflict and human rights abuses continue unabated, with devastating consequences for those affected. There have been numerous examples of targeted or indiscriminate attacks on civilians in densely populated areas, in violation of the most fundamental principles of international humanitarian law. The failure to respect and protect the lives of civilians was for example apparent on the morning of 18th of June when barrel bombs were dropped on a camp for displaced people in As Shajara in southern Syria, near the border with Jordan. Around 350 families lived in the camp. Dozens of people, including women and children were killed. Countless others have lost their lives or been injured as the conflict continues to rage in other parts of country, including in the Governorates of Aleppo, Hama, Idleb, Dar’a, Rural Damascus and Deir-ez-Zor. This morning in Aleppo, at least 17 civilians were reportedly killed and more than 30 injured by barrel bombs dropped near Halawaniyeh square. Also this morning, at least 15 civilians were killed by aerial strikes targeting numerous neighborhoods in Ar-Raqqa, including an educational facility and a library. On 7 June, ten people were killed and 55 others were injured as a car bomb went off in Homs city. 241,000 people continue to live under siege conditions unable to leave their communities and we are unable to get in to deliver much needed humanitarian assistance. Since my last briefing to the Council only 2,467 people or 1 per cent of those living in besieged areas have received much needed food assistance