UNICEF Disappointed by Suspension of Syrian Talks in Geneva

LONDON (Sputnik), Svetlana Alexandrova — The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) is disappointed about the suspension of the intra-Syrian talks on the reconciliation of the war-torn country, UNICEF Regional Chief of Communication for the Middle East and North Africa Simon Ingram told Sputnik on Thursday.

On Wednesday, UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura decided to postpone the intra-Syrian talks in Geneva until February 25, as many precursory issues, including securing access for humanitarian aid deliveries to besieged areas in Syria, remained unresolved.

"It is disappointing [the suspension of Geneva talks], because the humanitarian side of the work that we do can only be a temporary solution, we have to have a political solution, we have to have peace. We said that consistently," Ingram said.

He added that the international community had to stop the fighting in the country and begin to repair the terrible damage which had been done to Syria and to the neighboring countries.

Since 2011, Syria has been mired in a civil war with government forces fighting a number of militant groups and opposition factions. According to the United Nations, some 6.6 million people have been internally displaced by the conflict, while an estimated 4.6 million have fled the country.

Last week, new highly-anticipated talks on Syrian reconciliation mediated by the United Nations began in Geneva in line with the December UN Security Council resolution on Syrian settlement that stipulated that the entire spectrum of political factions in the crisis-torn country should be brought to the negotiating table.