UN: Syrians feel abandoned and hopeless

(Vatican Radio) Investigators from the United Nations said on Wednesday that all sides in Syria's civil war are using shelling and siege tactics to punish and starve civilians and the international community shares responsibility for allowing such war crimes to persist. The independent investigators also called again on the U.N. Security Council to refer grave violations of the rules of war to the International Criminal Court for prosecution.

The Chair of the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria, Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, said the leadership of each party to the conflict must be held responsible for the violations of its members.

"Among the most devastating events we documented was the campaign of barrel bombing in Aleppo targeting entire areas and spreading terror among civilians,” he said. “There is an increase in child recruitment among several non-state armed groups. Children are not only involved in the armed conflict, but they have been targeted by snipers.”

Pinheiro said Syrians feel abandoned and hopeless.

“While we most welcome the start of peace talks in Geneva, we have consistently repeated the mantra that there is no military solution for this crisis, only an inclusive negotiated solution can end this conflict,” he said.

“States that exert influence on parties in Syria must act to ensure that these parties comply with the rules of international humanitarian law,” Pinheiro continued. “The Security Council bears responsibility for not addressing accountability and allowing the warring parties to violate these rules with total impunity."

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