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| European MPs urge governments to make airdrops to Syrian civilians | European MPs urge governments to make airdrops to Syrian civilians |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| British, French, German and Dutch MPs – whose countries are taking part in air action against Islamic State – are urging their governments to carry out airdrops of food and medicines to relieve starving Syrian civilians trapped in areas that are besieged by President Bashar al-Assad’s forces. | British, French, German and Dutch MPs – whose countries are taking part in air action against Islamic State – are urging their governments to carry out airdrops of food and medicines to relieve starving Syrian civilians trapped in areas that are besieged by President Bashar al-Assad’s forces. |
| The appeal comes against a background of mounting concern about the humanitarian situation in Syria and the future of a fragile truce. Staffan de Mistura, the UN envoy, briefed the security council on Wednesday night following the collapse in effect of the latest peace talks in Geneva. | The appeal comes against a background of mounting concern about the humanitarian situation in Syria and the future of a fragile truce. Staffan de Mistura, the UN envoy, briefed the security council on Wednesday night following the collapse in effect of the latest peace talks in Geneva. |
| Related: Time for Europeans to air drop aid to Syrians | Letters | Related: Time for Europeans to air drop aid to Syrians | Letters |
| Voicing deep concern about the “barely alive” two-month-old ceasefire, he urged the leaders of the United States and Russia to revitalise the damaged peace process and saw some hope that the gulf between the government and opposition was narrowing. | |
| “Hence my appeal for a US-Russian urgent initiative at the highest level, because the legacy of both President Obama and President Putin is linked to the success of what has been a unique initiative which started very well. It needs to end very well,” he said. | |
| The United States and Russia must convene a ministerial meeting of major and regional powers who compose the International Syria Support Group (ISSG), he said. | |
| “There is no reason that both of them which have been putting so much political capital in that success story and have a common interest in not seeing Syria ending up in another cycle of war should not be able to revitalise what they have created and which is still alive but barely.” | |
| In a letter to the Guardian, the MPs and MEPs from across the European political spectrum write: “Our countries, the UK, France, Netherlands and Germany, are all flying in Syrian airspace as part of the anti-Isis effort. The British contingent included Labour’s Jo Cox, Conservative Sir Nicholas Soames and Greg Mulholland of the Liberal Democrats. | |
| “If the UN lacks the ability to deliver aid, we have the capacity and presence to act. And high-altitude airdrops would keep our brave pilots safe. Airdropping aid is only ever a last resort, but there are dependable partners on the ground in these besieged areas ready to coordinate the distribution of aid.” | “If the UN lacks the ability to deliver aid, we have the capacity and presence to act. And high-altitude airdrops would keep our brave pilots safe. Airdropping aid is only ever a last resort, but there are dependable partners on the ground in these besieged areas ready to coordinate the distribution of aid.” |
| Related: Syrian government agrees to 'cessation of hostilities' plan | Related: Syrian government agrees to 'cessation of hostilities' plan |
| Humanitarian aid deliveries were supposed to improve after a deal on cessation of hostilities agreed with US and Russian support in late February, but there has been only modest progress. Most areas have yet to see a single aid truck. | Humanitarian aid deliveries were supposed to improve after a deal on cessation of hostilities agreed with US and Russian support in late February, but there has been only modest progress. Most areas have yet to see a single aid truck. |
| The UN says land deliveries are preferable to airdrops, but acknowledges that it needs Syrian government permission to operate. Rebel forces have also blocked aid, but on a far smaller scale. | The UN says land deliveries are preferable to airdrops, but acknowledges that it needs Syrian government permission to operate. Rebel forces have also blocked aid, but on a far smaller scale. |
| Airdrops are difficult, expensive and potentially dangerous for aircrew and people on the ground and, without adequate organisation, order and cooperation on the ground, food aid can fall into the wrong hands. | Airdrops are difficult, expensive and potentially dangerous for aircrew and people on the ground and, without adequate organisation, order and cooperation on the ground, food aid can fall into the wrong hands. |
| In Daraya, a suburb of Damascus, the situation is desperate, with government forces preventing people or food from entering or leaving. UN emergency relief co-ordinator Stephen O’Brien said the Syrian authorities had ignored countless requests for aid to be allowed in. | In Daraya, a suburb of Damascus, the situation is desperate, with government forces preventing people or food from entering or leaving. UN emergency relief co-ordinator Stephen O’Brien said the Syrian authorities had ignored countless requests for aid to be allowed in. |
| The result is starvation, and residents eating grass to survive. Madaya, notorious for images of skeletal children, is still only occasionally accessible. | The result is starvation, and residents eating grass to survive. Madaya, notorious for images of skeletal children, is still only occasionally accessible. |
| Earlier this month, the UN carried out its first successful airdrop into the north-east city of Deir Ezzor, a government-held area under siege by Isis. The UN humanitarian taskforce should guarantee safe passage for aid flights, the MPs say. “We can no longer wait for permission from the Bashar al-Assad regime that may never come.” | Earlier this month, the UN carried out its first successful airdrop into the north-east city of Deir Ezzor, a government-held area under siege by Isis. The UN humanitarian taskforce should guarantee safe passage for aid flights, the MPs say. “We can no longer wait for permission from the Bashar al-Assad regime that may never come.” |
| Riyad Hijab, head of the Syrian opposition High Negotiations Committee, has also been urging Arab and European governments to do more to alleviate the humanitarian crisis and to recognise breaches of the truce by Assad’s forces as fighting escalates around the northern city of Aleppo. | Riyad Hijab, head of the Syrian opposition High Negotiations Committee, has also been urging Arab and European governments to do more to alleviate the humanitarian crisis and to recognise breaches of the truce by Assad’s forces as fighting escalates around the northern city of Aleppo. |
| Russia announced on Wednesday that the Geneva proximity talks would resume on 10 May, though UN sources said no date has been set, amid growing uncertainty as to whether they would be reconvened at all. De Mistura presided over a two-week round of talks interrupted by a walkout by the Syrian rebels just days after it began. | Russia announced on Wednesday that the Geneva proximity talks would resume on 10 May, though UN sources said no date has been set, amid growing uncertainty as to whether they would be reconvened at all. De Mistura presided over a two-week round of talks interrupted by a walkout by the Syrian rebels just days after it began. |
| De Mistura still aims to convene a ministerial meeting of major and regional powers under the International Syria Support Group, before the next round is held. Hijab also called for a meeting of the Friends of the Syrian People group – which has called for Assad to go and crucially excludes Russia and Iran, Assad’s close allies. | De Mistura still aims to convene a ministerial meeting of major and regional powers under the International Syria Support Group, before the next round is held. Hijab also called for a meeting of the Friends of the Syrian People group – which has called for Assad to go and crucially excludes Russia and Iran, Assad’s close allies. |
| The Geneva talks are deadlocked over the key question of Assad’s future. The opposition insists the president must step down, while the government in Damascus says his role is not up for negotiation. The war, now in its sixth year, is estimated to have killed 400,000 people and has made millions homeless. | The Geneva talks are deadlocked over the key question of Assad’s future. The opposition insists the president must step down, while the government in Damascus says his role is not up for negotiation. The war, now in its sixth year, is estimated to have killed 400,000 people and has made millions homeless. |