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The UN Security Council will be voting on Saturday on a draft resolution that calld for immediate and unhindered humanitarian aid access in war-torn Syria, says Gary Quinlan, Australian ambassador to the UN.
The resolution was submitted by Australia, Luxembourg and Jordan, and is backed by Britain, the US and France.
The resolution calls on all parties to immediately provide humanitarian access to populated areas, including the besieged city of Homs.
It also demands the ‘the immediate cessation of all attacks against civilians’, such as through the use of barrel bombs, a clear reference to Syrian army tactics used in Aleppo, in the north.
Moscow’s UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin received the text late on Wednesday and requested time to consult his government, a steadfast ally of Syria.
Russia, with support from China, has blocked three previous resolutions aimed at pressuring the Damascus regime since the crisis began in March 2011, with an estimated 250,000 people across Syria awaiting help.
Washington has accused Moscow – one of the main backers of Damascus – of not doing enough to make sure the regime of President Bashar al-Assad is fully committed to talks, a charge Russia has rejected.
Last week, UN humanitarian chief Valerie Amos called on the 15-member UN Security Council to ‘use their influence over parties to ensure they abide by pauses, give humanitarian access, commit in writing to upholding international humanitarian laws’.
She expressed frustration at the ‘extremely limited and painstakingly slow’ progress in negotiations between Moscow and the West in drafting a resolution.
Russia has opposed the Western text and had instead drafted a rival resolution.
