Pinheiro: UNSC doing 'bare minimum' for Syrians

The United Nations' Security Council is doing the "bare minimum" in helping Syrians according to Paulo Pinheiro, Chairman of Independent Commission of Inquiry on Syria.

Last week Russia and China vetoed a UN resolution that would maintain two border crossing points from Turkey to deliver humanitarian aid to Syria's mainly rebel-held northwest for a year, which the United Nations says is crucial to save millions of lives.

Instead, the Security Council approved one border crossing through the Bab al-Hawa for only 12 months.

"It must do more. All aid must flow on the basis of need not of politics. Anything else is a shameful failure which can result in further and entirely unnecessary loss of life. Pandemics know no borders, nor should lifesaving aid," he said in a United Nations' meeting on the inquiry in Geneva.

Pinheiro also called for an "immediate return to negotiations to end this conflict."