Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
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New York, SANA – UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos said allowing the terrorist organization of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)to seize the Syrian border town of Ayn al-Arab, also known as Kobane, would be “a stain on the conscience of humanity.”
Quoted by the Russian Itar-Tass news agency, Amos called on the international community to help the residents of the besieged Syrian town, located on the border with Turkey.
“I call on those in a position to help, to do so immediately. Violations of international human rights and humanitarian law must stop. If we don’t act now this will be another tragedy for the Syrian people and a stain on the conscience of humanity,” said Amos, speaking in a statement in New York.
She referred to reports from Ayn al-Arab which indicate “that there may be people in the city who are unable to leave,” noting that other reports say that several thousand people are reported to be “outside the town along the Turkish border.”
Amos said ISIS “has shown no mercy to those in towns they have taken,” reiterating that “We need to get to people and give them help now.”
In statements on Friday, UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura voiced concerns over a potential “massacre” in Ayn al-Arab should ISIS takes control of it, calling on the Turkish authorities to allow Kurdish recruits to cross into the town for defending it.
De Mistura’s concerns were based on satellite images he cited showing that approximately 13,000 residents remain stranded in the border area between Turkey and Syria, many of them are inside the city.
Haifa Said
