Outraged by Airstrike on Displaced Persons Camp in Syria that Could Constitute War Crime, Secretary-General Says Perpetrators Must Be Held Accountable

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

The Secretary-General is outraged by yesterday’s attack on a makeshift camp for displaced persons near the Syrian village of Sarmada in Idlib Province.  The United Nations, along with humanitarian partners on the ground, are assessing the needs and mobilizing a response for the families who fled the camp out of fear of further attacks.

The Secretary-General reiterates his call on the Security Council to send a strong message to all warring parties that there will be serious consequences for grave violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.  Those responsible for yesterday’s seemingly calculated attack against civilians in the camp in Idlib, which could constitute a war crime, must be held accountable.  He again urges the Security Council to refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court.

The Secretary-General calls upon all Member States to take immediate collective and decisive action to bring the tragedy unfolding in Syria to an end.  Members of the Security Council should build on resolutions 2254 (2015) and 2268 (2016) and follow through on the commitments they made in these resolutions to press the Syrian parties to stop their indiscriminate attacks on civilians.