Denouncing “unrelenting horrors” in Syria, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appealed yesterday for an end to the violence and more aid to address a situation he said is catastrophic and worsening by the day.
“How many more people will be killed if the current situation continues?” Ban said, addressing a donors conference in Kuwait aimed at raising money for UN humanitarian work. “I appeal to all sides, and particularly the Syrian government, to stop the killing ... in the name of humanity, stop the killing, stop the violence.”
More than 60,000 people have been killed since Syria’s 22-month-old conflict began, the UN says.
An official of the Gulf Cooperation Council, a grouping of six Gulf Arab states, said a total of US$1 billion had been pledged by midday, after promises of US$300 million each from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.
The UN warned on Monday that without more money it would not be able to help millions of Syrians and appealed for donations at the aid conference to meet its US$1.5 billion target.
Four million Syrians inside the country need food, shelter and other aid, while more than 700,000 more are estimated to have fled to countries nearby.
King Abdullah II of Jordan told the gathering that Syrians had taken refuge in his country in their hundreds of thousands, but Amman’s ability to help was at its limits.
“We have reached the end of the line, we have exhausted our resources,” he said.
UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Valerie Amos said that agriculture was in crisis, hospitals and ambulances had been damaged, and painkillers were unavailable. Harsh weather had made matters worse, and people lack winter clothes, blankets and fuel, with women and children particularly at risk, she said.
“We are watching a human tragedy unfold before our eyes,” she said.
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
CHINA REACTS: The patrol and reconnaissance plane ‘transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,’ the 7th Fleet said, while Taipei said it saw nothing unusual The US 7th Fleet yesterday said that a US Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait, a day after US and Chinese defense heads held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. The patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release. “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.” In a separate statement, the Ministry of National Defense said that it monitored nearby waters and airspace as the aircraft
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source