In a statement earlier today, his spokesperson said Ban is “following with the gravest concern” the situation in Qusayr, where fighting has intensified in recent days. Ban reminded the Government of its responsibility to protect civilians who come under its control, including from the threat of militias. He also called on the warring parties to allow trapped civilians to flee.

In a separate statement later in the day, Amos and Pillay said they were “extremely alarmed” by reports that there as many as 1,500 wounded people in the city in urgent need of immediate evacuation for emergency medical treatment.

“The general situation in Qusayr is desperate,” Amos and Pillay said based on information they are receiving. This includes “reports that civilian neighbourhoods continue to be indiscriminately attacked, and that other major violations of human rights and international humanitarian law are being committed,” according to the statement.

In addition to urging a halt to any actions that threaten civilian lives, the two senior officials reminded the Government and other parties to the conflict that they have an obligation under international human rights and international humanitarian law to protect civilians and allow neutral, impartial humanitarian organizations safe access to all people in need.

“We urge the parties to agree to an immediate ceasefire to allow humanitarian agencies to evacuate the wounded and provide life-saving treatment and supplies,” they said in the statement.

While it is not known how many people remain trapped in Qusayr, more than ten thousand have already fled to towns in the region including Hasiya and Al-Dumina, where they have sought temporary shelter in schools and unfinished buildings.

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNCHR) said yesterday at least 700 families – or some 3,500 people – have arrived to Hasiya, a small nearby town with a population of 16,000. They urgently need food, bedding, clean water and medical care.

The siege comes as preparations intensify for an international conference on Syria.

Ban “reminds all parties to the conflict that the eyes of the world are upon them, and that they will be held accountable for any acts of atrocity carried out against the civilian population of Qusayr,” his spokesperson said in the statement.

Since March 2011, fighting between the Syrian Government and opposition forces seeking to oust President Bashar Al-Assad has killed more than 70,000 people, and left 6.8 million people in need. In addition, the UN estimates that some 1.5 million Syrians have fled their country to escape conflict.

In a statement earlier today, his spokesperson said Mr. Ban is “following with the gravest concern” the situation in Qusayr, where fighting has intensified in recent days.

Mr. Ban reminded the Government of its responsibility to protect civilians who come under its control, including from the threat of militias. He also called on the warring parties to allow trapped civilians to flee.

In a separate statement later in the day, Ms. Amos and Ms. Pillay said they were “extremely alarmed” by reports that there as many as 1,500 wounded people in the city in urgent need of immediate evacuation for emergency medical treatment.

“The general situation in Qusayr is desperate,” Ms. Amos and Ms. Pillay said based on information they are receiving.

This includes “reports that civilian neighbourhoods continue to be indiscriminately attacked, and that other major violations of human rights and international humanitarian law are being committed,” according to the statement.

In addition to urging a halt to any actions that threaten civilian lives, the two senior officials reminded the Government and other parties to the conflict that they have an obligation under international human rights and international humanitarian law to protect civilians and allow neutral, impartial humanitarian organizations safe access to all people in need.

“We urge the parties to agree to an immediate ceasefire to allow humanitarian agencies to evacuate the wounded and provide life-saving treatment and supplies,” they said in the statement.

While it is not known how many people remain trapped in Qusayr, more than ten thousand have already fled to towns in the region including Hasiya and Al-Dumina, where they have sought temporary shelter in schools and unfinished buildings.

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNCHR) said yesterday at least 700 families – or some 3,500 people – have arrived to Hasiya, a small nearby town with a population of 16,000. They urgently need food, bedding, clean water and medical care.

The siege comes as preparations intensify for an international conference on Syria.

Mr. Ban “reminds all parties to the conflict that the eyes of the world are upon them, and that they will be held accountable for any acts of atrocity carried out against the civilian population of Qusayr,” his spokesperson said in the statement.

Since March 2011, fighting between the Syrian Government and opposition forces seeking to oust President Bashar Al-Assad has killed more than 70,000 people, and left 6.8 million people in need. In addition, the UN estimates that some 1.5 million Syrians have fled their country to escape conflict.

Assad’s comments came in a pre-recorded interview with al Manar television, a Lebanese satellite television station affiliated with Hezbollah.

Dozens of Hezbollah militants are said to be fighting alongside Syrian forces in Qusayr the since May 19, when government forces launched an offensive to recapture the strategic town near the Lebanese border. Earlier, US Secretary of State John Kerry said thousands of Hezbollah fighters were contributing significantly to the conflict in Syria.

Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, said earlier this week that Hezbollah would fight in Syria until Assad’s survival was assured.

Assad, however, downplayed Hezbollah’s presence in Syria in his interview, saying that the number of fighters the Lebanese group had sent to his country was a “drop in the ocean” compared with the “hundreds of thousands” of Syrian government troops fighting against rebels.

“Logically speaking, if Hezbollah or the resistance wanted to defend Syria by sending fighters, how many could they send – a few hundred, a thousand or two? We are talking about a battle in which hundreds of thousands of Syrian troops are involved against tens of thousands of terrorists.”

Reports have said up to 4,000 Hezbollah fighters have joined forces with the Syrian military, which has claimed to be winning the battle, Al Jazeera said.

He noted that the timing of the Qusayr battle is linked to the “Israeli escalation”.

President Bashar al-Assad also said Syria would be willing to attend peace talks with the opposition in principle with the condition that anything agreed upon would be subject to the approval of the Syrian people through a referendum.

“Simply put, our only condition is that anything agreed upon in any meeting inside or outside the country, including the conference, is subject to the approval of the Syrian people through a popular referendum. This is the only condition. Anything else doesn’t have any value. That is why we are comfortable with going to the conference. We have no complexes. Either side can propose anything, but nothing can be implemented without the approval of the Syrian people. And as long as we are the legitimate representatives of the people, we have nothing to fear.”

Assad was referring to talks, backed by Russia and the US  next month in Geneva. Peace talks aim at finding a political solution to the country’s civil war.

On the other hand, the National Coalition said it will not take part in would not participate in the Geneva talks until the international community intervened to end a siege in Qusayr, a town in Homs province near the Lebanese border.

Intense shelling and clashes between Government forces and supporting militias and anti-Government armed groups have reportedly resulted in hundreds of civilian deaths and injuries in and around Qusayr, a town near the Lebanese border. Hundreds of families are said to have fled the area over the last month as efforts to capture the town have intensified.

During an urgent debate held in Geneva, the 47-member Council adopted a resolution in which it called on the Syria authorities “to meet their responsibility to protect the Syrian population and to put an immediate end to all attacks against the civilians of Al Qusayr.”

The text, adopted by a vote of 36 in favour to 1 against (Venezuela) with 8 abstentions, also condemned the intervention of foreign combatants fighting on behalf of the Syrian regime in Qusayr, and voiced deep concern that their involvement poses a “serious threat” to regional stability.

Addressing the Council prior to the adoption of the measure, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said that the situation in Syria reflects a “colossal failure” to protect civilians.

“Day after day, children, women and men suffer the brutality of unbridled violence and gross human rights violations by all parties,” she stated. “The increasing number of foreign fighters crossing Syria’s borders to support one side or the other is further fuelling the sectarian violence, and the situation is beginning to show worrying signs of destabilizing the region as a whole.”

Since March 2011, fighting between the Syrian Government and opposition forces seeking to oust President Bashar Al-Assad has killed more than 70,000 people, and left 6.8 million people in need. In addition, the UN estimates that some 1.5 million Syrians have fled their country to escape conflict.

“The conflict in Syria is spinning out of control,” warned Ms. Pillay, who called for immediate action to stop further bloodshed and suffering. “The solution must be political. It will not be military,” she added.

In the run-up to the proposed international conference on Syria to be held next month in Geneva, Ms. Pillay called on “States with influence to pull the parties back from the brink of catastrophe.”

Speaking to reporters in New York, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that “active talks” are under way regarding the proposed Geneva conference. However, there are still many decisions that need to be made, including agreement on a date for the meeting, as well as agreement among the opposition as to their representation.

While he was not in a position to announce when the meeting will take place, Mr. Ban declared: “we are committed to [convening] it.”

Regarding reports that the Lebanese group Hizbollah had stepped up its activities in Syria, he said that the UN is very much concerned that other actors have entered the fighting. He strongly urged all fighting to stop immediately so that a political process could begin.

Ban said he had been urging all parties with influence – on both sides – to call for an end to the fighting.

“Providing arms to either side will not help: there is no military solution [and] the only sustainable resolution will be through political means,” he said, adding that he had “taken note” of the European Union’s decision to lift its arms embargo in Syria.

Ban also reiterated his call for a political solution in a message to the consultative meeting on Syria that was held today in Tehran. “Syria is disintegrating before our eyes. The chaos is creating fertile ground for radicalism and increasingly threatens regional stability,” he said in the message, which was delivered by the UN Resident Coordinator in Iran, Gary Lewis.

Ban noted the efforts by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and United States Secretary of State John Kerry to bring the Syrian parties to the negotiating table. “These talks are the best opportunity we have had in nearly a year for a negotiated solution. The challenges ahead are formidable but we cannot afford to miss this opportunity.”