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UN Special Envoy De Mistura Advocates Humanitarian Pause in Syria

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) – UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura has expressed his support for the establishment of a ceasefire regime in Syria in order to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian convoys to the country.
Sputnik

"There is an urgent need for de-escalation, which means ceasefire specifically in order to allow convoys to reach the besieged and non-easy to reach areas. Thirty days, 40 days, 20 days… I leave it to Mark Lowcock [UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs] to indicate, but sustained and sustainable, yes, it cannot be just one day," De Mistura told reporters on Wednesday.

READ MORE: UN Can't Verify Claims of Chemical Attacks in Syria 'Independently' — De Mistura

The consultations at the UNSC on the draft resolution are still ongoing. The resolution, among other things, calls for ending the siege and allowing access to such areas as Fua, Eastern Ghouta, Kefraya and Yarmouk.

On Friday, a resolution, which demands the introduction of a 30-day-long ceasefire in Syria in order to deliver humanitarian aid and evacuate sick and injured individuals from the country, was circulated to the members of the UN Security Council. The document was drafted by Kuwait and Sweden.

The humanitarian situation in Syria has significantly deteriorated due to the ongoing civil war. The infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed across the country and millions of people have fled Syria in order to escape violence and poverty caused by war.

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