UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon says the collapse of ceasefire talks in Syria will only bring more violence, death and destruction, while further weakening efforts to find a negotiated solution to the war.
Ban stated this in a statement in New York on Monday.
He reiterated his call on the co-chairs of the International Syria Support Group, the Russian Federation and the United States, to redouble their efforts to put the cessation of hostilities talks back on track.
He expressed concern on the dangerous escalation of fighting in and around Aleppo and the intolerable suffering, mounting deaths and destruction among civilians.
Ban called on the warring Syrian sides to immediately recommit themselves to the cessation of hostilities talks and to uphold their responsibility to protect civilians from the effects of the conflict.
Noting the temporary re-launch of the cessation in Damascus and Lattakiya governorates, the Secretary-General stressed the need to expand these arrangements to other parts of Syria, with a special urgency for Aleppo.
He said the cessation of hostilities talks has alleviated the plight of some of the Syrian people.
He said the talks represent a vital component of the overall process set up and sustained in Geneva by the International Syria Support Group.
In a related development, the U.S. said it has been involved in trying to de-escalate fighting even before the cessation of hostilities talks came about on Feb. 27.
A statement issued by the U.S. State Department said it has been trying to build a foundation of the cessation of hostilities to deal with outbreaks of violence.
The U.S. said that fighting has increased of late but it is working on all areas where there are significant threats to the cease to the cessation of hostilities. (NAN)