U.N. chief accuses Syria arms suppliers of spreading ‘misery’

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday accused countries who are supplying weapons to the Syrian conflict of spreading “misery” and called for urgent international help with the country’s humanitarian crisis.

“Those who provide arms to either side are only contributing to further misery -- and the risk of unintended consequences as the fighting intensifies and spreads,” Ban told the 193-member U.N General Assembly.

Ban did not name any country but Russia is President Bashar al-Assad’s main arms supplier while U.N. officials say Iran has made arms deliveries to his forces. The Syrian government accuses Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey of arming the opposition.

The Syrian envoy to the United Nations, Bashar Jaafari, told the assembly that “it is now obvious to everyone that that armed gangs were active in Syria” and he accused “regional and Arab sides” of funding these groups.

Humanitarian crisis

The U.N. secretary general said there had to be a greater international effort to end the 18-month-old conflict and to counter the growing humanitarian and refugee crisis in and around Syria.

“Regional leaders have a key role to play in creating the conditions conducive to a solution,” Ban told the assembly as he appealed for leaders and the badly divided U.N. Security Council to unite behind the mediation efforts of new U.N.-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi.

Though a number of initiatives have been started to end the conflict, Ban said “missing in all of them is a unity of effort that will have an impact on the ground.”

Ban appealed for more money for a U.N. fund for Syria, saying: “The humanitarian situation is grave and deteriorating both in Syria and in neighboring countries affected by the crisis.”

He highlighted that the U.N. has called for $180 million for action inside Syria but only received half this amount so far.

Water, shelter, blankets, hygiene kits and medicines are desperately needed.

“Governments have generously opened their borders and accepted their responsibility to shelter those who have sought refuge. They urgently need support,” Ban said.