'Deeply Concerned' India urges UNSC to introspect cost of its actions & inactions on Syria

On Monday, India urged the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to assess the "costs of its actions and inactions" in Syria. It also emphasised that there is an urgent need to build agreement on the humanitarian situation and collectively work to easen the sufferings of people in the middle eastern country. India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti briefed the Security Council on Syria (humanitarian issues), chaired by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Tirumurti said that the decade-long conflict has had a devastating effect on the people of Syria. He said that India is deeply concerned with the alarming statistics.

"An estimated half-million people have died, millions have been displaced, both internally and externally, the health infrastructure has collapsed, and children have been deprived of basic education. Women, children and youth have especially been deeply impacted. The Covid-19 pandemic has further aggravated the humanitarian situation," he said, ANI reported.

As part of a wider Arab Spring protest, the unrest in Syria began in 2011 and escalated from discontent against the Syrian government to an armed conflict. The conflict has left more than 380,000 people dead, devastated cities and drawn in other countries. The conflict has caused untold suffering for Syrian men, women and children-- more than 5 million Syrians have fled the country and 6 million are internally displaced and more than 13 million people are in need of assistance.

'Cost of actions & inactions': TS Tirumurthi 

"The Council needs to introspect about the cost of its actions and inactions. There is an urgent need to build consensus on the humanitarian situation and collectively work to ameliorate the sufferings of people in Syria. We cannot afford to be unmoved. The politicisation of the humanitarian track does not help anyone, least of all the millions of suffering Syrians. What we need immediately is an engagement that is both consistent with Syrian independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty as well as addresses the urgency of the humanitarian issues to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people," he said, ANI reported.

the Indian envoy said that over the past decade, Syria's economy has suffered multiple shocks and strongly condemned the attack on the surgical hospital in Al Atareb that resulted in the killing of innocent civilians. 

"India has consistently underlined the need to protect health and humanitarian workers. We have equally underlined that we cannot allow terrorists to take any further advantage of the situation and the Council should speak in one voice on terrorism. Let us not lose sight of the need to resolutely combat terrorists and terrorist groups," he said, ANI reported.

'India For Humanity': TS Tirumurthi 

Tirumurthi said that India has already extended immediate medical assistance and food assistance to Syria recently under the 'India For Humanity' programme.

"India has already extended immediate medical and food assistance to Syria recently. Our artificial limb fitment camp of the well-known 'Jaipur Foot' of the Jaipur-based BMVSS in India, which was conducted in Damascus, benefited over 500 Syrians affected by the conflict. We had undertaken this Jaipur Foot initiative under the rubric of 'India For Humanity'. We certainly need humanity now more than ever on the humanitarian crisis facing Syria," he said, ANI reported.

(With ANI Inputs)

(Image Credits: ANI)