WORLD_ UN humanitarian chief in Syria for talks

UN humanitarian chief in Syria for talks

Updated: 02:19, Monday January 28, 2013
Sky NEWS


The United Nations humanitarian chief has arrived in Damascus for talks with Syrian officials about the nation's conflict, which has forced millions of people from their homes, destroyed the country's cities and created food and fuel shortages.

Valerie Amos did not make any public remarks upon her arrival in Damascus on Sunday for a two-day visit, but was seen by reporters heading to the offices of UN agencies and government officials.

Living conditions have deteriorated across Syria during the 22-month conflict, which began with political protests but has since evolved into a civil war with scores of rebel groups battling President Bashar al-Assad's forces. Entire towns and neighbourhoods have been damaged in the fighting, and more than two million people are internally displaced, with another 650,000 seeking refuge in neighbouring countries.

Some areas face food shortages, and even areas that have been spared large-scale violence like Damascus lack sufficient quantities of petrol, heating oil and cooking gas.

On Friday, the UN announced it was preparing to send $US10 million ($A9.6 million) in new US aid to help alleviate hunger in northern Syria.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos last week, Amos said world powers had not done enough to lessen Syrian suffering.

'The humanitarian situation in Syria is already catastrophic and it's clearly getting worse,' she said. 'What we are seeing now are the consequences of the failure of the international community to unite to resolve the crisis.'

World powers remain divided on how to solve the crisis. The US and many Arab and European countries have called on Assad to step down, while Russia, China and Iran refuse any pressure from outside that seeks to hasten the regime's fall.

Meanwhile, Syria announced it would drop legal proceedings against any opposition figures who returned to the country to participate in a 'national dialogue' called for by Assad during a recent speech.

Syria's Higher Judicial Council announced the decision in a statement carried by the state news agency. The report gave no further details.

Assad proposed the national dialogue as part of his plan to end the country's crisis as laid out in a high-profile speech this month at the Damascus Opera House.

In the same speech, however, he vowed to keep fighting and referred to the opposition as criminals and terrorists - making it unlikely anyone will take their chances on the amnesty offer.



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