The Secretary-General met today with Sir Nicholas Young, President of the UK Red Cross and Head of the delegation of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, on the margins of the Second International Humanitarian Pledging Conference for Syria.

The Secretary-General commended the bravery of humanitarian workers in Syria, and particularly the Syrian Arab Red Crescent. They paid tribute to the humanitarian workers who lost their lives while providing assistance in Syria. They agreed on the need to press for full funding for the Syrian relief effort in Syria and its neighbours. They also discussed the importance of greater humanitarian access inside Syria. They stressed the need for an immediate end to the hostilities.