Chinese envoy urges collective efforts to alleviate humanitarian crisis in Syria

A Chinese envoy on Thursday urged the international community to make collective efforts to alleviate humanitarian crisis in Syria, and promote a political solution to the Syrian issue.

"Thanks to the joint efforts by the Syrian Government and the UN, the border crossings for aid delivery are now operating effectively. We urge parties concerned to actively cooperate to facilitate cross-line deliveries," Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, told the UN Security Council briefing on Syria.

He called on the international community to scale up its humanitarian assistance to Syria, provide adequate and unearmarked financial support to early recovery projects throughout Syria.

"Unilateral sanctions and resource plunder have long hindered the economic recovery, social development, and improvement of people's livelihoods in Syria. We urge relevant countries to immediately cease these unlawful acts. Foreign forces should immediately end their illegal military presence in Syria," said the envoy.

The envoy noted that the recent Arab League foreign ministers meeting reaffirmed its abiding commitment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria and its objection to any external interference.