‘Syria is bleeding’ while Security Council is deadlocked

After the U.S.-Russian brokered ceasefire ceased to be two weeks ago, the fighting in Syria has entered a new phase. The last two weeks have been the worst since the start of the conflict five and a half years ago. Still, the veto blocks the Security Council from taking action.

“Barbarism.” That is how Samantha Power, the United States’ ambassador to the UN, described the Syrian and Russian airstrikes in Aleppo. During the last offensive, which has lasted two weeks, more than 400 civilians, many of them children, have died. 250 000 civilians remain trapped in the bombings and major hospitals and humanitarian convoys have been targeted, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the city. Several world leaders and United Nations officials have condemned the attacks, labeling them war crimes.

Still, the Security Council remains blocked from taking action. Russia’s support for the Assad regime in Syria, and their part in the current bombings, means any attempt from the Security Council to act would be blocked by a Russian veto. Discussions at the Security Council have led nowhere, as Russian and U.S. diplomats disagree, and a diplomatic solution looks distant. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has warned that the U.S. is on the verge of ending diplomatic talks with Russia, as those are seen as futile, and instead move on to other options.

Since the Syrian conflict began in March 2011, at least 250 000 people have been killed, with independent organization Syrian Observatory for Human Rights estimating the true number to be about 430 000. More than 4,8 million people have fled abroad, and 6,5 million others have been displaced within the country.[/fusion_text][fusion_text]Sources:
BBC: Syria conflict: Aleppo bombing shuts largest hospital
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-37528260

The Guardian: ‘Syria is bleeding’: Aleppo facing war’s worst humanitarian crisis, UN says
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/sep/29/aleppo-syria-war-humanitarian-crisis-un

Reuters: U.S., Russia trade blows over Syria as warplanes pounds Aleppo
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-idUSKCN11V0EY

UN News: Amid political jockeying and grandstanding, ‘Syria is bleeding’, UN aid chief tells Security Council
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=55164#.V_DSm_mLTIU[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]