Kaine Statement on Syrian Humanitarian Crisis

Statement

U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near Eastern, South and Central Asian Affairs, released the following statement today on the Syrian humanitarian crisis:

"I welcome today's long overdue passage of a United Nations Security Council resolution authorizing unhindered cross-border humanitarian assistance to civilians in need inside Syria, even without the consent of the Assad government. I called for such a measure in a May letter to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Since the passage of UN Security Council Resolution 2139 in February, the humanitarian situation has only further deteriorated inside Syria, with the Assad regime blocking humanitarian access to more than 4 million innocent civilians. I hope the UN will quickly work with humanitarian NGOs and regional governments to implement this resolution, which provides the United Nations all necessary authorities to facilitate cross-border assistance - even without the permission of the Assad regime - at four border crossings. More still needs to be done to address the humanitarian plight in Syria. I look forward to the report of the 180 day U.N. monitoring mechanism to see if there is a change in the situation on the ground. And if access is denied or there is non-compliance, this resolution affirms that the Security Council will take further action. The credibility of the Security Council is at stake if the status quo continues."

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