MOSCOW, February 22 (RIA Novosti) – The United Nations Security Council passed a resolution on Saturday demanding the Syrian government allow unhindered humanitarian access to all regions of the country, the UN said on its website.
All 15 members of the Security Council voted for the resolution, which did not include provisions that would impose penalties on the country should its government fail to comply, a measure which Russia has vetoed several times in the past.
The document condemned terror attacks linked to Islamic extremists and called for an end to the civil war that has wracked the country for almost three years.
Russia’s head envoy to the UN, Vitaly Churkin, said following the vote on the measure that he hoped the Syrian opposition would also join in the fight against terrorism in the country.
The resolution called for the government to lift blockades on medicine and food supplies to rebel-controlled areas including in the cities of Homs and Aleppo.
A spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry said Saturday that the country voted for the resolution as it calls on both government and opposition leaders to allow unfettered access for humanitarian aid without the threat of sanctions.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who attended the session of the council, said that the measure should not be necessary and expressed profound concern over continued violence against civilians.
Over 130,000 people have been killed and a further 9 million displaced due to the ongoing civil war in the country, according to UN estimates.
