A general view during a meeting of the Security Council on Syria at the UN headquarters last week —Reuters NEW YORK, Dec 10 (Reuters/AFP): United Nations Security Council members will work on a statement on Syria in the coming days, US and Russian diplomats said on Monday, after a closed-door meeting over the rebel seizure of the capital Damascus and ousting of President Bashar al-Assad.
"The council, I think, was more or less united on the need to preserve the territorial integrity and unity of Syria, to ensure the protection of civilians, to ensure that humanitarian aid is coming to the needy population," Russian UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told reporters after the 15-member body met.
Deputy US Ambassador Robert Wood confirmed that most members spoke about those issues and told reporters the council would work on a statement. The United States is president of the council for December.
"This is an incredible moment for the Syrian people," Wood said. "Now we're really focused right now on trying to see where the situation goes. Can there be a governing authority in Syria that respects the rights and dignities of the Syrian population?"
Syria's UN Ambassador Koussay Aldahhak told reporters outside the council that his mission and all Syrian embassies abroad had received instructions to continue doing their job and maintain the state institution during the transition period.
"Now we are waiting for the new government, but meanwhile we are continuing with the current one and the leadership," he said, adding that Syrian Foreign Minister Bassam Sabbagh - appointed by Assad - was still in Damascus.
"We are with the Syrian people. We will keep defending and working for the Syrian people. So we will continue our work until further notice," he told reporters outside the council.
"Syrians are looking forward to establishing a state of freedom, equality, rule of law, democracy, and we will join efforts to rebuild our country, to rebuild what was destroyed, and to rebuild the future, better future of Syria," he said.
Nebenzia and Wood both spoke about how unexpected the weekend events in Syria were.
"Everyone was taken by surprise, everyone, including the members of the council. So we have to wait and see and watch ... and evaluate how the situation will develop," Nebenzia said.
16 milion Syrians
need aid, says UN
UN humanitarians on Monday described the situation in Syria as chaotic and fluid, with more than 16 million Syrians in need of assistance.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said 1 million people were displaced from their homes in the west and northwest alone from Nov. 28 to Dec. 8. "There is an urgent need for more shelter, food, and sanitation facilities."
The office said the recently displaced were primarily women and children from Aleppo, Hama, Homs and Idlib governorates. The situation is very fluid, with reports of more people returning in the last couple of days. Transportation routes were disrupted, limiting the movement of people, goods and humanitarian aid.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Monday that Trkiye will reopen a border gate with Syria in southern Hatay province to facilitate the voluntary and secure return of Syrian refugees.
"We are opening the Yayladagi crossing to prevent overcrowding and facilitate traffic during the return (of Syrian refugees)," Erdogan said at a press conference after a cabinet meeting in the Turkish capital Ankara.
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