Syrian residents fleeing the eastern part of Aleppo walk through a street in Masaken Hanano, a former rebel-held district which was retaken by the regime forces last week, on November 30, 2016. More than 50,000 Syrians have joined a growing exodus of terrified civilians from the besieged rebel-held east of Aleppo

Syrian residents fleeing the eastern part of Aleppo walk through a street in Masaken Hanano, a former rebel-held district which was retaken by the regime forces last week, on November 30, 2016. More than 50,000 Syrians have joined a growing exodus of terrified civilians from the besieged rebel-held east of Aleppo
Photo Credit: GEORGE OURFALIAN/AFP/Getty Images

Canada calls for urgent UN General Assembly meeting on Syria

Canada is calling on the UN General Assembly to urgently convene a formal plenary meeting of all member states to take urgent action to alleviate the “horrific humanitarian situation” unfolding in Syria, especially in the besieged city of Aleppo.

Canada’s action comes after the UN Security Council once again failed to break its deadlock on Wednesday.

Russia continues to block resolutions it says unfairly target its ally President Bashar Al-Assad, who’s been trying to wrestle back control of eastern Aleppo, Syria’s second largest city, from Syrian rebels whose ranks, according to Russian officials, include Al-Qaeda linked hardline jihadist groups.

According to Canadian officials, there has been no aid to eastern Aleppo in 150 days. The last remaining stockpile of food rations was completely exhausted by November 13, 2016, there are no functioning hospitals and 25,000 people have been displaced from their homes since Saturday.

Syrian residents fleeing the eastern part of Aleppo walk through a street in Masaken Hanano, a former rebel-held district which was retaken by the regime forces last week, on November 30, 2016. More than 50,000 Syrians have joined a growing exodus of terrified civilians from the besieged rebel-held east of Aleppo
Syrian residents fleeing the eastern part of Aleppo walk through a street in Masaken Hanano, a former rebel-held district which was retaken by the regime forces last week, on November 30, 2016. More than 50,000 Syrians have joined a growing exodus of terrified civilians from the besieged rebel-held east of Aleppo © GEORGE OURFALIAN/AFP/Getty Images

“The victims of the ongoing conflict in Syria deserve action now,” Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion said in a statement on Thursday.

“They deserve an end to the violence, to the indiscriminate killing and to the blocking of life-saving humanitarian aid,” Dion said. “Our message to the actors on the ground, to the Assad regime and to those who back it is clear: we cannot let this horrific crisis continue.”

Canada and a coalition of 72 countries it marshalled at the General Assembly in October are deeply concerned that the “UN Security Council is unable to address the overwhelming humanitarian needs of Syrians and to halt the attacks against civilians in Aleppo and other parts of Syria,” the statement said.

While Security Council members cannot veto a resolution passed by the General Assembly, these resolutions are not binding and don’t have the same legal force as resolutions adopted by the Security Council.

Still Canada believes the General Assembly can play an important role in pressuring the actors on the ground to end the attacks in Syria, Dion said.

“Canada will continue to rally the international community to support an end to the attacks, a cessation of hostilities, an end to all besiegements, full respect for international humanitarian law and human rights law, and the need for full, safe and unhindered humanitarian access.”

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