The UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon said on Thursday the use of starvation as a weapon of war in Syria was a "war crime" as aid reached the besieged town of Madaya this week.
"UN teams have witnessed scenes that haunt the soul," said Mr Ban.
"The elderly and children, men and women, who were little more than skin and bones: gaunt, severely malnourished, so weak they could barely walk, and utterly desperate for the slightest morsel."
"Let me be clear: The use of starvation as a weapon of war is a war crime," he said. "All sides, including the Syrian government, which has the primary responsibility to protect Syrians, are committing this and other atrocious acts prohibited under international humanitarian law."
Addressing the UN Security Council on Friday, the Assad government said that no one cares more about the Syria people than the government.
"The Syrian government is the government that is most mindful of its people," Syria's deputy UN envoy Mounzer Mounzer said.
"No one can claim to care more about our people than we do, no other country, especially when it comes to providing assistance to areas under the control of armed terrorist groups."
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"UN teams have witnessed scenes that haunt the soul," said Mr Ban.
"The elderly and children, men and women, who were little more than skin and bones: gaunt, severely malnourished, so weak they could barely walk, and utterly desperate for the slightest morsel."
"Let me be clear: The use of starvation as a weapon of war is a war crime," he said. "All sides, including the Syrian government, which has the primary responsibility to protect Syrians, are committing this and other atrocious acts prohibited under international humanitarian law."
Addressing the UN Security Council on Friday, the Assad government said that no one cares more about the Syria people than the government.
"The Syrian government is the government that is most mindful of its people," Syria's deputy UN envoy Mounzer Mounzer said.
"No one can claim to care more about our people than we do, no other country, especially when it comes to providing assistance to areas under the control of armed terrorist groups."
See here, here and here.
Related articles:
UN war crimes investigators gather evidence from besieged Syrian town (13 Jan 2016)
UN envoy confirms Syrian peace talks in January (13 Jan 2016)