West backing for terror behind Syria sufferings: UN envoy

Syria’s ambassador to the United Nations says the foreign parties that support the Takfiri terror groups operating in his country are to blame for the dire humanitarian situation plaguing the Syrian nation.

More than 23 million Syrians are now living under militant siege because those who have provided the terrorists with arms have also imposed sanctions on the Arab country, said Bashar al-Ja’afari in an address to the UN Security Council on Thursday, describing such foreign support as the root cause of all sufferings of Syrians.

He also called on the foreign powers to stop arming the so-called moderate militants, urging the removal of all sanctions against the Syrian nation.

The senior diplomat also lashed out at some members of the international community for their double standards in dealing with the Syrian crisis, saying they have formed a so-called anti-terror coalition, while at the same time, they criticize Damascus for targeting terrorists’ positions in the Syrian territory.

Ja’afari stressed that any humanitarian assistance to Syrians must be coordinated with the Damascus so that the relief aid would not fall into the hands of the terrorists.

He said the best way to help Syrian refugees is to facilitate their return to their homeland by helping Syrians find a political solution to the deadly conflict in the Arab country.

Earlier in the day, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres warned that the Syrian refugee crisis is reaching a critical point, urging “massive international support” to tackle the issue.

“As the level of despair rises, and the available protection space shrinks, we are approaching a dangerous turning point,” he said, adding, “If this is not addressed properly, this crisis-in-making will have huge consequences not only for the future of Syria but for the whole region.”

Syria has been grappling with a deadly crisis since March 2011. The violence fueled by Takfiri groups has so far claimed the lives of over 210,000 people, according to reports. New figures show that over 76,000 people, including thousands of children, lost their lives in Syria last year.

Over 3.8 million Syrians have left their country since the beginning of the crisis. More than 7.2 million Syrians have also become internally displaced, according to the UN.

The US and its regional allies, including Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, have supported the terrorist groups operating against the government of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria.