CAIRO: As horrific reports of sexual violence against women and children in Syria continue to stream into the public's gaze, the United Nations is demanding the Syrian government allow women and children to leave the country. The head of the UN observers' mission to the war-torn country, which over the weekend suspended their mission due to an increase in violence, called on the government of Bashar al-Assad to allow the evacuation of women, children, elderly and sick people endangered by fighting in the besieged city of Homs and other combat zones. Maj. Gen. Robert Mood said in a statement that the observers had been trying for the past week to bring out families and wounded trapped in Homs by heavy government shelling. The offensive is part of a broader push by Assad's forces to regain rebel-held villages and towns throughout the country. Activists worry that the entire city's population could be massacred if action is not taken to curtail the government forces. “The parties must reconsider their position and allow women, children, the elderly and the injured to leave conflict zones without any preconditions and ensure their safety,” Mood said in a statement. UN “attempts to extract civilians from the line of fire over the past week have been unsuccessful.” On Saturday, the UN said its 300 observers based in Syria were suspending all missions because of concerns for their safety after fighting intensified over the previous 10 days. But the monitors said they were remaining in Syria in Damascus. At least 14,500 people, mostly civilians, have been killed since the Syrian people rose up against Assad's regime in March last year, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has reported.
