Brahimi says Syrian crisis worsening
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 19 September 2012 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Brahimi says Syrian crisis worsening, 19 September 2012, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/50604092c.html [accessed 5 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
September 19, 2012
Syrian refugee women wait for the arrival of UN-Arab League peace envoy for Syria at their camp in the border town of Altinozu in Hatay province on September 18. Reuters
The UN-Arab League mediator for Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, says the Syrian crisis is worsening and threatening to destabilize the wider region.
"The situation is getting worse and it is a huge threat for the region. These kind of conflicts can not be bottled up within one country, they will invariably spill over, they already have with these hundreds of thousands of refugees that are destabilizing or threatening to destabilize neighboring countries," Brahimi said.
He once again called on all sides in the conflict to work together to find a solution to the crisis.
"The point I am making as seriously, strongly as I can is that the situation is very bad and worsening, it's not improving. Syrians on both sides say from time to time, we are going to win very soon or in three months, two months or .. I don't think it's true. I don't think any side is winning now or any time in the future."
His remarks to Al Jazeera come after Brahimi visited refugees who have fled to Jordan and been housed at the Zaatari camp in Mafraq.
As Brahimi's motorcade left the camp, currently home to 32,000 Syrians, a group of refugees pelted his car with stones.
According to UN figures, the ongoing conflict has prompted 250,000 people to flee to neighboring countries.
His visit to the camp came one day after Brahimi met privately with Arab League chief Nabil Elaraby in Elaraby's home in Cairo.
Brahimi had also met with Syrian President Bashar Assad on September 15 for the first time since he replaced Kofi Annan as the UN-Arab League representative.
Inside Syria, rebels are reported to have battled government forces near a Turkish border crossing.
A Turkish official said stray bullets had hit some houses in the town of Akcakale, with at least one person reported wounded inside Turkey.
Rebels hold two other crossings on the northern border with Turkey.
Meanwhile, Amnesty International accused Syrian government forces of waging "relentless, indiscriminate" attacks against civilians, with many children among the victims of the violence.
Based on dpa, AP and Reuters reporting
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
