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Significant devastation in Syria's Homs: UN official
Friday March 09, 2012 08:06:34 AM,
IANS
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Damascus: Visiting UN under-secretary general for
humanitarian affairs, Valerie Amos, has said the devastation in
Syria's Homs city was "significant" and that she was "struck" by
what she saw there, Xinhua reported.
Amos went to Homs Wednesday for "an assessment visit" with the
Syrian Red Crescent and representatives of the international Red
Cross.
"I have been struck by the difference between what I have seen
here in Damascus and what I saw yesterday in Baba Amr (an area in
Homs)," Amos was quoted as saying Thursday following meetings with
Syrian ministers of education and health.
"The devastation there is significant. That part of Homs is
completely destroyed and I am concerned to learn what happened to
the people in that part of the city," she said.
Amos has held talks with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem,
who reiterated Syria's commitment to cooperate with Amos's mission
to Syria, "so long as it respects Syria's sovereignty and
independence".
Amos's visit to Syria aimed to convince the Syrian authorities to
allow unhindered humanitarian access to restive cities, mainly
Homs, Xinhua said.
The Baba Amr area has emerged as the epicentre of armed
confrontation between troops loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad
and armed rebels comprising partly of army defectors.
Activists say Baba Amr has been under army bombardment for nearly
a month, and hundreds of people have been killed in the area.
The government says it was fighting armed terrorist groups and Al
Qaeda members, who have reportedly infiltrated into Syria to fight
alongside the rebels.
The Syrian government has accused some Arab and Western countries
of providing weapons and financial support to armed groups in
Syria. It said in December 2011 that "armed terrorist groups" had
killed more than 2,000 army and security personnel during the
unrest.
The UN says over 7,500 people have died in Syria's violence.
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