GENEVA: Senior officials from Iran, Russia and Turkey held “substantive” talks on Tuesday on how Syria’s constitutional committee will be set up and will function, and more such talks are planned within weeks, UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura said.
The discussions in Geneva were the first visible diplomacy in months between countries involved in the Syrian war, and the effort to form a constitutional committee follows two years of futile rounds of talks that never led to direct meetings between the warring sides.
“During the meeting, constructive exchanges and substantive discussions took place on issues relevant to the establishment and functioning of a constitutional committee, and some common ground is beginning to emerge,” de Mistura said in a statement.
De Mistura has a mandate from the UN Security Council to forge a political agreement between Syria’s warring sides, including a new constitution and new elections.
A congress of Syrian activists held in the Russian resort of Sochi in January gave him the task of setting up a committee to draft a new constitution. He promised at the time to consult widely on the membership, which would be unlikely to exceed 50.
The government of President Bashar Assad has sent the UN a list of nominees and Syria’s opposition is expected to follow suit soon.
The meeting brought together the Turkish Foreign Ministry’s Deputy Undersecretary Sedat Onal, Russia’s Syria envoy Alexander Lavrentiev and the Iranian foreign minister’s Special Assistant in Political Affairs Hossein Jaber Ansari.
De Mistura plans to meet senior officials from the United States, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, France, Britain and Germany next week, and expects the Iranian, Russian and Turkish officials to return for more talks in the next few weeks “to widen the common ground,” the statement said.
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Common ground emerging on Syria constitution, more talks planned: UN
Common ground emerging on Syria constitution, more talks planned: UN
- De Mistura has a mandate from the UN Security Council to forge a political agreement between Syria’s warring sides
- The discussions in Geneva were the first visible diplomacy in months between countries involved in the Syrian war
Red Cross launches Iran emergency appeal as needs soar
- Appeal for $51.5 million to help support five million people through the next 16 months
- Emergency appeal funds will go toward shelter support, providing relief items, health services and maintaining water and sanitation services
GENEVA: Humanitarian needs in Iran are growing sharply due to the war, the Red Cross said Tuesday as it launched an emergency appeal for more than $50 million.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said its appeal for 40 million Swiss francs ($51.5 million) would help support five million people through the next 16 months.
“Across the country, communities are facing growing humanitarian needs related to health care, shelter, water and sanitation, and mental health and psychosocial support,” the IFRC said.
The funds will help the national Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) to prioritize those directly affected by the war, and deal with infrastructure damage and disruptions to essential services.
“With humanitarian needs growing sharply with every passing day, this emergency appeal will help scale up lifesaving assistance and get support to those most affected,” Maria Martinez, the IFRC’s delegation chief in Iran, said in a statement.
The United States and Israel launched their first wave of attacks on Iran on February 28, triggering a war that has seen Iran strike targets in multiple countries around the Gulf.
“The Iranian Red Crescent Society immediately mobilized its network of staff and volunteers to respond to communities affected by the hostilities,” said Martinez.
“This work on the ground by the IRCS and the IFRC is vital to saving lives — every moment counts.”
The IFRC said that 529 IRCS branches were undertaking emergency response operations across 30 provinces and 197 cities.
More than 2,100 response teams and over 6,500 staff and volunteers have been deployed, it said, while emergency teams have been carrying out search and rescue operations.
The emergency appeal funds will go toward shelter support, providing relief items, health services and maintaining water and sanitation services.
The Geneva-based IFRC has already allocated 1.5 million Swiss francs from its Disaster Response Emergency Fund to support immediate life-saving activities in Iran.
The IFRC, which has more than 17 million volunteers in more than 191 countries, is the world’s largest humanitarian network.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said its appeal for 40 million Swiss francs ($51.5 million) would help support five million people through the next 16 months.
“Across the country, communities are facing growing humanitarian needs related to health care, shelter, water and sanitation, and mental health and psychosocial support,” the IFRC said.
The funds will help the national Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) to prioritize those directly affected by the war, and deal with infrastructure damage and disruptions to essential services.
“With humanitarian needs growing sharply with every passing day, this emergency appeal will help scale up lifesaving assistance and get support to those most affected,” Maria Martinez, the IFRC’s delegation chief in Iran, said in a statement.
The United States and Israel launched their first wave of attacks on Iran on February 28, triggering a war that has seen Iran strike targets in multiple countries around the Gulf.
“The Iranian Red Crescent Society immediately mobilized its network of staff and volunteers to respond to communities affected by the hostilities,” said Martinez.
“This work on the ground by the IRCS and the IFRC is vital to saving lives — every moment counts.”
The IFRC said that 529 IRCS branches were undertaking emergency response operations across 30 provinces and 197 cities.
More than 2,100 response teams and over 6,500 staff and volunteers have been deployed, it said, while emergency teams have been carrying out search and rescue operations.
The emergency appeal funds will go toward shelter support, providing relief items, health services and maintaining water and sanitation services.
The Geneva-based IFRC has already allocated 1.5 million Swiss francs from its Disaster Response Emergency Fund to support immediate life-saving activities in Iran.
The IFRC, which has more than 17 million volunteers in more than 191 countries, is the world’s largest humanitarian network.
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