Geneva (VNA) – Vietnam has called on theinternational community to increase support to help Syria cope with the COVID-19pandemic and deal with food security problems.
Speaking at the UN Security Council’s online monthlydiscussion on the Syrian situation, Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, head of theVietnam mission to the UN, expressed his concern about challenges facingmillions of Syrian people, including conflicts that have killed civilians andadverse impacts from the economic crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic.
He underlined the urgent need to seek a comprehensivepolitical solution to the crisis and increase humanitarian aid to the country.
The ambassador urged all relevant parties in Syria to createthe most favourable conditions for effective humanitarian operations and callon the international community to continue their support during this criticalmoment. The assistance should be strengthened toincrease COVID-19 response capability, fight food insecurity and provideadequate winter supplies, he stated.
According to the UNSecretary-General’s Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen, the Syriangovernment and the opposition have yet to agree on the agenda and the time fortheir next meeting since their last meeting in late August.
Pedersen hoped thetalks can be resumed in November this year. Meanwhile, attacks targetingcivilians have taken place almost every day, he added.
Meanwhile, UN Under-Secretary-Generalfor Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mark Lowcock, saidthat the COVID-19 pandemic has developed complicatedly in the country. Theofficial report showed that the country has over 5,000 infections, but he heldthat the real count is much higher as the testing conditions remain poor and communityinfections stay complicated.
The economic crisishas also worsened food security in Syria, while food prices had risen 90percent over the past six months, together with a serious shortage ofcommodities, he said./.
VNA