UNHCR joins push to end suffering in Syria
News Stories, 21 January 2016
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(c) UNHCR/B.Diab
A man and a young boy walk along a ruined street in Homs, Syria.
GENEVA, Jan 21 (UNHCR) - More than 100 UN and other humanitarian organizations have together issued a powerful joint appeal today, urging people around the world to raise their voices and call for an end to the Syria crisis and to the suffering endured by millions of civilians.
High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi is one of several humanitarian agency chiefs adding his voice to the campaign. Others include the heads of UNICEF, OCHA, WFP, IOM, OCHA, Norwegian Refugee Council, and others.
The appeal outlines a series of immediate, practical steps that can improve humanitarian access and the delivery of aid to those in need inside Syria, where the war is approaching its sixth brutal year.
The appeal seeks unimpeded and sustained access for humanitarian organizations to bring immediate relief to all those in need inside Syria.
It also calls for humanitarian pauses and unconditional, monitored ceasefires to allow food and other urgent assistance to be delivered to civilians, vaccinations and other health campaigns, and for children to return to school.
The push asks for a cessation of attacks on civilian infrastructure - so that schools and hospitals and water supplies are kept safe.
Additionally, it seeks freedom of movement for all civilians and the immediate lifting of all sieges by all parties.
Members of the public can add their support to the appeal themselves, simply by sharing it, retweeting it or liking it on social media platforms. The organizations involved in the appeal will also be carrying it on their social media channels.
Here is a link to the full text of the appeal.