NEW YORK, Feb 22 (KUNA) -- Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah on Thursday presided over a UN Security Council meeting on situation in Syria's Eastern Ghouta.
Addressing the meeting, Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled said "at the beginning, I would like to thank Mr. Mark Lowcock, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, for briefing us today on situation in Eastern Ghouta.
The speech of Mr. Lowcock is consistent with what UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said to us yesterday morning that the Eastern Ghouta can't bear more." Sheikh Sabah went to say that at least 1200 civilians have been killed since the beginning of February in Eastern Al-Gouta, blaming the international community for its silence towards the killing of civilians, women and elderly.
He called on the international community to put an end to these grave massacres and violations of human rights and international humanitarian law.
In this regard, Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled pointed to the following points: First, responding to the UN's demands on humanitarian situation in Syria, both Kuwait and Sweden submitted a clear and simple draft resolution calling for a 30-day cessation of hostilities in all Syrian regions, with the aim of enabling the UN and its partners to deliver humanitarian aid and services, and offer medical evacuation services to patients and injured people in accordance with the provisions of international law as well as end the siege on residential areas.
Secondly, Kuwait's movement in this regard is based on its national and religious duty towards brothers and sisters in Syria, and its legal, human and moral responsibilities seeking to mitigate their suffering. In this regard, the minister called on all UN Security Council member states to back the draft resolution for the protection of civilians.
Thirdly, the failure to halt these terrible massacres committed repeatedly over seven years and with all kinds of weapons encouraged the perpetrators to continue committing such massacres, as they have not been held accountable.
Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled led a high-level delegation to the meeting that included Assistant Foreign Minister and Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled's office director Ambassador Sheikh Dr. Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah, Kuwait's Permeant Representative to the UN Ambassador Mansour Al-Otaibi, Assistant Foreign Minister for International Organization's Affairs Ambassador Nasser Al-Hein as well as a number of senior officials at the ministry. (end) asf.hm