“The situation is extremely bad and we need action from the Council,” Brahimi told reporters at UN Headquarters following a closed-door session with the Council.

“The opposition and the government have got to accept to come to negotiations, and both sides have got to accept that these negotiations are necessary,” Brahimi added.

Latest figures showing 6.8 million people in need, 4.25 million people internally displaced and an additional 1.3 million seeking refuge in neighbouring countries from a conflict that has killed over 70,000 people since opposition forces sought to oust President Bashar Al-Assad in 2011.

Brahimi told journalists that he tried to aid the creation of a ‘Syria Plan’ through discussions with both sides in Syria and through discussions with the 15-member Security Council, particularly Russia and the United States.

“With the Syrians, I got nowhere. With the Security Council, with the Americans and the Russians we made some progress, but it was far too weak,” said Brahimi.

“I am very happy that the Americans and the Russians are talking to one another. I’m very happy that from the discussions we just heard, the Security Council is very now aware that this is an extremely serious problem. As a matter of fact, the most serious crisis,” he continued.

“If they really believe that and they are in charge of looking at the peace and security there is no time for them to lose,” Brahimi stressed.

The Security Council heard from top United Nations officials, including Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Valerie Amos who said that humanitarian organizations are facing enormous and dramatically growing constraints in aiding millions of Syrians overwhelmed by the ‘human catastrophe’ that the war-torn country has become.

In response to questions from journalists yesterday afternoon, Brahimi also denied rumours that he planned to resign. “Every day I wake up, I think I should resign, but I haven’t so far,” he said.

In Syria the massacre has to stop. According to the recent UN assessment, more than 60,000 people have already died. This is appalling and unacceptable. I reiterated the European Union’s position that President Assad should step aside as efforts are being made to facilitate an inclusive and democratic transition. The joint Special Representative of the United Nations and the League of Arab States, Lakhdar Brahimi, has our full support in finding a political solution to the crisis.

The European Union has also welcomed the creation of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces and accepts them as legitimate representatives of the Syrian people. It is important that they now engage with Joint Special Representative Brahimi and his team.

Secretary General Elaraby and I also discussed the need for concerted and coordinated actions by all key actors to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Now is the time to look forward and to take bold steps towards peace in Middle East. It is key to re-launch direct and substantial negotiations, without preconditions, among the parties in the Palestinian- Israeli conflict. The aim should be a lasting solution ending all claims.

“I would hope that the Council will continue its discussions and hopefully find language that will pull everybody together for us to move forward on this critical issue,” Annan told reporters, following a meeting with the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin.

The Joint Special Envoy said he, along with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, had a “very good” discussion with President Putin, focusing on what measures need to be taken to end the violence and the killing in Syria and how to proceed with a political transition there.

Annan arrived in Moscow yesterday for two days of talks. He has previously noted the importance of a united Security Council on the Syrian crisis, saying that “if the Council speaks with one voice, that voice is much more powerful than when it is divided.”

In addition, the Joint Special Envoy has repeatedly called on the parties to abide by a six-point peace plan he presented several months ago to end the Syrian crisis. The plan calls for an end to violence, access for humanitarian agencies to provide relief to those in need, the release of detainees, the start of inclusive political dialogue, and unrestricted access to the country for the international media.

The crisis in Syria has continued unabated since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began some 16 months ago. The UN estimates that more than 10,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Syria and tens of thousands displaced.

“As I said earlier, we need to do whatever we can to stop the violence, to stop the killing, and the Council, I expect, will be sending a message out, that the killing must stop and the situation on the ground is unacceptable,” Annan said. “Hopefully, the Council will come together in a united manner and press ahead in search of peace.”

Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon spoke with Foreign Minister Lavrov by telephone on Monday, Ban’s spokesperson said yesterday.

During their call, amongst other issues, they discussed the situation in Syria and the “imperative need” for an immediate halt to the violence there. As well, the Secretary-General stressed the importance of the Joint Special Envoy’s discussions in Moscow “given the escalating and alarming situation” in Syria.

“He called on Russia to use its influence to ensure the full and immediate implementation of the six-point plan and the Action Group communiqué, as well as of resolutions 2042 and 2043 of the Security Council,” the spokesperson said in a note to journalists.

Amongst other things, the Council’s resolutions 2042 and 2043 dealt with the deployment of monitors, including those of the UN Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS), which recently suspended the patrols of its observers due to the escalating violence on the ground.

Agreed on at a meeting in late June, the communiqué of the UN-backed Action Group on Syria called for the establishment of a transitional governing body, with full executive powers, as part of important agreed principles and guidelines for a Syrian-led political transition, as well as for all parties to immediately re-commit to a sustained cessation of armed violence, to fully cooperate with observers serving with UNSMIS, and to implement Mr. Annan’s six-point peace plan.

The three-month mandate of UNSMIS ends on 20 July, with the Council expected to meet before then to decide on its future.

With the violence in Syria continuing unabated, Annan said that he has been in intensive consultations with a number of ministers and officials in capitals around the world about the possibility of convening a meeting of ministers to discuss what further actions could be taken.

“It is time for countries of influence to raise the level of pressure on the parties on the ground, and to persuade them that it is in their interest to stop the killing and start talking,” he told a news conference in Geneva.

“The longer we wait, the darker Syria’s future becomes. This process cannot be open-ended,” Mr. Annan added. “It is urgent that our consultations yield real results soon. Otherwise, I fear we are reaching the day when it will be too late to stop the crisis from spiralling out of control. The time to act is now.”

He said discussions are continuing on the possibility of convening a meeting, on 30 June in Geneva, of a “contact group” comprising the five permanent members of the Security Council – China, France, Russia, United Kingdom and United States – as well as other governments and countries “with influence on one or the other parties” to discuss the way forward.

Annan was joined at the news conference by Major-General Robert Mood, the Chief Military Observer and head of the UN Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS), which last week temporarily suspended the monitoring activities of UNSMIS observers due to the recent escalation of violence.

Maj.-Gen. Mood said a few days ago that UN observers would only be able to resume their work if there is a significant reduction in the violence, and a commitment by both the Government and the opposition to ensure the safety and freedom of movement of the observers.

“Given the fact that the mandate is for 90 days and doesn’t expire until the 20th of July, my focus is to be able to continue to implement the mandated tasks as soon as the situation allows and a less risky level of violence makes that possible,” he stated at the Geneva press conference.

The Security Council established UNSMIS in April, for an initial period of three months, to monitor the cessation of violence in Syria, as well as monitor and support the full implementation of a six-point peace plan put forward by Mr. Annan.

The plan calls for an end to violence, access for humanitarian agencies to provide relief to those in need, the release of detainees, the start of inclusive political dialogue that takes into account the aspirations of the Syrian people, and unrestricted access to the country for the international media.

“I urge all parties to heed the call for a cessation of violence in all its forms, first and foremost for the sake of the Syrian people, the children and women in particular. I think they have suffered for far too long and continue to suffer,” Mr. Annan said. “But if our efforts are to succeed, we shall need the united and sustained support of the international community. This is essential.”

The UN estimates that more than 10,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Syria and tens of thousands displaced since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began some 16 months ago.

“As we move forward, we should keep our goals firmly in view: to stop the killing, help the suffering population, secure a political transition, and ensure that the crisis does not spread to the neighbours,” the Joint Special Envoy stated.

One year ago, the statement noted, Syrians emboldened by the changing tide of history in their region stood up in the streets of Damascus to appeal for their universal rights and freedoms. Peaceful popular protests then began to spread across the country. “The Syrian authorities responded with brutal repression, which has continued unabated.”

Mr. Ban voiced his solidarity with the people of Syria and their legitimate aspirations to dignity, freedom and justice, and called for all violence to end and for a peaceful resolution of the crisis.

He urged the Syrian Government and opposition to cooperate with the efforts of the Joint Special Envoy of the UN and the League of Arab States, Kofi Annan, who put forward proposals to end the crisis during his meetings in Damascus, including with President Bashar al-Assad, last weekend.

“I presented a set of concrete proposals which would have a real impact on the situation on the ground and which will help launch a process aimed at putting an end to this crisis,” Mr. Annan stated during the visit. “I told the President that my main preoccupation is the welfare of the Syrian people – that we should place the interests of the people at the centre of all our efforts.”

Tens of thousands of people have been caught up in the violence since the start of the uprising, which is part of the broader Arab Spring movement across North Africa and the Middle East.

“As intense fighting continues in Syria, and people are caught up in the violence, it is increasingly vital that humanitarian organizations have unhindered access to identify urgent needs and provide emergency care and basic supplies. There is no time to waste,” Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Valerie Amos said in a statement.

Ms. Amos, who visited Syria last week to press for unhindered humanitarian access, said the authorities have now informed her that a Government-led mission will visit the governorates of Homs, Hama, Tartous, Lattakia, Aleppo, Dayr Az Zor, Rural Damascus and Deraa, starting this weekend.

A number of UN and Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) technical staff will accompany the mission and take the opportunity to gather information on the overall humanitarian situation and observe first-hand the conditions in various towns and cities.

“I repeat my calls to the Government of Syria to allow humanitarian organizations unhindered access, so that they can help people in need, in a neutral and impartial manner,” said Ms. Amos, who is also UN Emergency Relief Coordinator.

Kofi Annan “has questions and is seeking answers,” said a statement issued by his spokesperson. “But given the grave and tragic situation on the ground, everyone must realize that time is of the essence,” it added. “As he said in the region, this crisis cannot be allowed to drag on.”

During his mission to Damascus, the Syrian capital, on Sunday, Mr. Annan urged President Bashar al-Assad to embrace change and reforms that will form the foundation for democracy in his country.

“The transformational winds blowing today cannot be long-resisted,” he said. “I have urged the President to heed the old African proverb: ‘you cannot turn the wind, so turn the sail.’ The realistic response is to embrace change and reform.”

He stressed that reforms would help build a “peaceful, stable, pluralistic and prosperous society, based on the rule of law and respect for human rights.” Discussions during the weekend meeting between Mr. Annan and Mr. Assad also focused on halting the violence, giving access to humanitarian agencies, and starting a political dialogue.

Thousands of people, mostly civilians, have been killed and tens of thousands displaced since the uprising – part of the broader Arab Spring movement across North Africa and the Middle East – began in March last year.

In a related development, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) voiced serious concern over the availability of food in Syria, especially for vulnerable groups, as a result of the civil unrest in the country. FAO cited the figures from the Syrian Central Bureau of Statistics that show that inflation rose by about 15 per cent between June and December last year, driven mainly by sharp increases in food prices and fuel shortages that have had an impact on transportation costs.

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) estimates that about 1.4 million people have become food insecure since the unrest began, especially in hotspots such as Homs, Hama, Damascus, Dara’a and Idleb.

FAO and WFP are currently running an emergency operation providing food aid and vouchers to 100,000 people in Syria. Food, water and fuel are reportedly increasingly difficult to obtain in several areas and the situation is also affecting pastoralists, with reduced mobility for their herds and limited access to veterinary drugs and other supplies.

Some 300,000 small-scale farmers and herders in north-eastern provinces, which have already suffered four consecutive seasons of drought, are also affected by loss of opportunities from seasonal labour migration inside the country.

In addition, Syria’s cereal production is estimated to have dropped by almost 10 per cent last year following late and erratic rains, and the outlook for this year’s winter harvest, which starts in May, is uncertain given possible disruption of farm activities and limited access to inputs as a result of insecurity, according to FAO.