UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Thursday called for greater humanitarian assistance throughout Syria, lifting economic sanctions and promoting the return of refugees and displaced persons.
The Syrian crisis has dragged on for many years and must be addressed in a holistic and integrated manner, Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, told the Security Council in a meeting on the situation in the Middle East.
Turkey's unilateral military actions have exacerbated the complexity and fragility of the situation in northeastern Syria, also worsened the humanitarian situation, he said.
He added that the economic sanctions have worsened the living conditions of the Syrian people. The large number of Syrian refugees has also put economic and social pressure on neighboring countries and has become a factor of regional instability.
By Oct. 20, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimated that over 176,000 civilians had been displaced as a result of the hostilities, including nearly 80,000 children.
Zhang called on the international community to provide adequate resources to the United Nations and relevant agencies to ensure humanitarian supplies for Syrian people in need, including food, drinking water and medical services for people in northeastern Syria.
All parties should help improve the economic situation in Syria and promote the safety and voluntary return of Syrian refugees to their homes, he added.
