A “small field hospital with Italian doctors who will be able to treat some of the people affected by this tragedy”, is being readied in a country bordering on Syria, Minister Giulio Terzi announced from Brunei, where he is attending the EU-ASEAN summit. He explained that the conflict had “created a million displaced and probably hundreds of thousands of persons moving away from Syria”.
Serious violations
Terzi spoke of “extremely serious” violations of the ceasefire, and of the need for “further and very strong political impetus, especially from the Arab League countries, for a more direct humanitarian intervention aimed at defending the population and create safe areas for displaced”.
300 additional observers within 90 days
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Special UN and Arab League Envoy to Syria Kofi Annan announced that 30 observers would be in Syria as of 30 April – 13 are currently operational – as established by the 14 April resolution. A second resolution approved on 21 April establishes the dispatch of a mission of unarmed observers (UNSMIS, United Nations Supervision Mission in Syria) made up of 300 units within 90 days. To date the UN has documented over 9,000 deaths, mostly civilians, in the 13-month revolt and consequent military repression.
