UN spokesman: no countrywide humanitarian crisis in Syria

PanARMENIAN.Net - A UN investigative team has wrapped up its visit to Syria, concluding that "there is an urgent need to protect civilians" from excessive force, BBC reported.

The team, the first Syria has allowed in since a deadly crackdown on protests began in March, said there was no countrywide humanitarian crisis. The UN says more than 2,200 people have been killed in the violence.

The UN Security Council is split over whether to impose sanctions against Syria's leadership over the crackdown.

Syria had refused for months to allow a UN mission into the country to investigate the violence. The government allowed the team in last week, promising full and unfettered access.

"The mission concluded that although there's no countrywide humanitarian crisis, there is an urgent need to protect civilians from the excessive use of force," said UN spokesman Farhan Haq.

But the promised free access did not materialize.

"The constant presence of government officials limited the mission's ability to fully and independently assess the situation," Mr Haq said.