Moscow urges UNSC to discuss Syrian rebels’ siege of Christian town of Kessab

April 2, 2014 By administrator

April 01, 2014

RT Russia urged the UN Security Council to discuss the situation in Syria’s Christian majority town of Kessab, after Al-Qaeda-linked militants reportedly attacked the town, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated.

“The UN Security Council should discuss the situation in Kessab and give it a principled evaluation,” it stated. “We condemn extremists’ actions in Syria. We believe that the Syrian government and the opposition should join efforts to eradicate terrorism on the Syrian land.”

On March 21, jihadists reportedly crossed into Syria from Turkey and seized the town in Latakia province, home to over 2,000 ethnic Armenians. The attack caused hundreds of local families, mainly Armenian, to flee their homes and seek shelter in the city of Latakia.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry noted that there were no military objects on the attacked territory and added that the only fault of the families, who were forced to flee, was their loyalty to Syria’s government.

Syria’s permanent representative to the UN, Bashar Jaafari, told RT Arabic that Syria is hoping the UN will help resolve the situation in Kessab. In the past week, Syria sent five letters to the UN Security Council and the General Secretary. “These letters contain detailed information about Turkish direct involvement in the crisis by providing protection to terrorist groups that are operating in the Kessab area,” Jaafari said.

He further added that military groups managed to get to Kessab under the cover of Turkish artillery strikes, Turkish aviation, and tanks, which were all used as a distraction.

“This allowed the terrorists to avoid direct clashes with the Syrian army…unleashed [the terrorists’] hands to carry out their heinous, unspeakable crimes.”

Earlier, the Armenian government also called on the UN to protect Kessab, evoked the Armenian genocide of 1915, and accused Turkey of allowing jihadists cross its border to attack Kessab. In turn, Ankara slammed the accusations and condemned the charge as “confrontational political propaganda.”

The attack on Kessab was reportedly carried out by fighters from the Al-Nusra Front, an Al-Qaeda-linked jihadist group in Syria, and the Islamist Ahrar al-Sham brigade, part of the Islamic Front alliance.

Earlier this week, the Syrian army launched an operation to force the militants out of the town.

The situation escalated on March 23 when Turkey shot down a Syrian Air Force jet at the Kessab crossing. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the plane was intercepted after it violated his country’s airspace.

In response, Damascus accused Ankara of “blatant aggression,” saying the fighter jet had been over Syria. The Syrian pilot said a Turksih aircraft fired a missile at him while he was pursuing terrorists within Syrian territories, SANA news agency reported.

Armenia explains it pro-Russian vote in UN on Crimea

March 27, 2014 By administrator

March 27, 2014 | 22:55

YEREVAN. – After its vote against Crimea resolution in the UN General Assembly, Armenian MFA released an explanatory note of Armenia՛s Representative to UN Garen Nazarian, Armenian News-NEWS.am reports.

According to the official note, “Armenia has consistently and over years taken a principled position on the promotion of democracy, freedoms and rights, including and in particular the equal rights and self-determination of peoples as universal values and principles, embraced by this Assembly, based on the UN Charter.”

Armenia was among 11 states that voted against resolution in the UN General Assembly, which would declare invalid Crimea’s recent referendum calling for annexation to Russia.

Syrian child refugees hits 1 million, UN

August 24, 2013 By administrator

‘Not just another number’; three quarters under 11 years old

(ANSAmed) – GENEVA – One million children have fled fighting in Syria, reported UNHCR and UNICEF in Geneva on Friday. Of the million, about three quarters (740,000) are under age 11. UNICEF director Anthony Lake stressed that the one millionth child refugee was not just another number. “We must all share the shame, because while we work to alleviate the suffering of those affected by this crisis, the global community has failed in its responsibility to this child. We should stop and ask ourselves how, in all conscience, we can continue to fail the children of Syria,” he said. In the words of UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres, the survival and well-being of an entire generation of innocent children is at stake. “The youth of Syria are losing their homes, their family members and their futures. Even after they have crossed a border to safety, they are traumatized, depressed and in need of a reason for hope,” he added.

According to the latest figures from the two specialised agencies of the United Nations, about 3,500 Syrian children have fled to Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq unaccompanied by or separated from their families. These children account for over half of the two million refugees who have fled Syria to Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt. Syrians are arriving in North Africa and Europe ever more often. The price paid by Syrian children in the conflict – now in its third year – is enormous. In addition to the one million child refugees, there are some two million displaced children in Syria and the UN estimates that at least 7,000 of them have been killed. The child refugees are exposed to other threats as well, such as forced labour, early marriage and sexual exploitation. The UNHCR, UNICEF and UN have mobilised to assist Syrian refugees, but much remains to be done. Only 38% of the funds requested to aid the refugees until the end of the year has been received. (ANSAmed).