Gobierno de Chile

Chile, as a non-permanent member of the Security Council, welcomes the adoption, today Saturday, February 22, of resolution 2139 regarding the humanitarian situation in Syria. The resolution was unanimously adopted by the 15 members of the Security Council, demonstrating the unity of the Council on the high priority issue of protecting of the Syrian people.

This is the first resolution that the Security Council has adopted on humanitarian assistance for the crisis in Syria since the outbreak of hostilities three years ago.

The resolution condemns and demands from all parties the immediate cessation of violence, grave human rights violations and abuses, sexual violence against women and children, and aerial bombardment, including the use of “barrel bombs,” against the civilian population. It stresses that the primary responsibility to protect its population lies with the Syrian authorities.

Furthermore, the resolution demands that all parties promptly allow rapid, safe and unhindered access, including across borders, to humanitarian aid, in order to ensure that such aid reaches the civilian population in the most direct manner.

Today, over nine million people are in need of urgent humanitarian aid; 6.5 million are internally displaced, half of whom are children. More than 2.47 million Syrians have sought refuge in neighboring countries.

Since it took its seat on the Security Council, Chile has actively promoted the need to align positions within this UN body, so that it can effectively and unanimously address the dramatic humanitarian needs of the Syrian people. Chile, urgently calls on all parties to immediately and fully implement resolution 2139, adopted today by the Security Council.