UN calls for political transition to end Syria crisis

United Nations, Aug 18  The UN Security Council has condemned attacks against civilians in Syria and underscored the need for a political transition to end the conflict that has claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in the country.

The conflict in Syria was discussed in a UN Security Council session convened late on Monday, a day after the Syrian air force bombed the city of Duma, killing 96 people and wounding 240, Efe reported.

Without directly referring to the attack, the Council passed a resolution reiterating its stance of a political solution in Syria.

The document stresses, "the only sustainable solution to the current crisis in Syria is through an inclusive and Syrian-led political process that meets the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people", and urges "all parties to work diligently and constructively towards this goal".

It also demands "all parties cease any attacks against civilians as such, as well as any indiscriminate use of weapons in populated areas, including such use involving shelling and barrel bombs."

This political transition, the document reads, must meet "the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people and enable them independently and democratically to determine their future, including through the establishment of an inclusive transitional governing body with full executive powers."

Calling the Syrian crisis "the largest humanitarian emergency crisis in the world today, threatening peace and security in the region," the resolution says, "at least 250,000 have been killed, including well over 10,000 children, and 12 million people have been forced to flee their homes," due to the armed conflict that began in 2011.