“The mission will come to an end on midnight on Sunday,” Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Edmund Mulet told correspondents after briefing the 15-member body in closed consultations on the future of the UN Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS) and the letter of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon proposing a continued UN presence in the form of a liaison office.

“In the meantime, we’re working with our colleagues in the Department of Political Affairs to prepare the ground in Damascus to establish this liaison office,” Mulet added.

Syria has been wracked by violence, with an estimated 17,000 people, mostly civilians, killed since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began some 17 months ago. In the previous two weeks, there have been reports of an escalation in violence in many towns and villages, as well as the country’s two biggest cities, Damascus and Aleppo.

Initially set up in April for 90 days, UNSMIS’ mandate was extended for another 30 days in late July when the Council adopted resolution 2059. That resolution also indicated that further renewals to UNSMIS’ mandate would be possible only if it could be confirmed that the use of heavy weapons had ceased and a reduction in violence by all sides was sufficient to allow the mission to implement its mandate.

With the 30-day extension, the mission’s mandate is set to expire on Sunday.

“There was a general feeling that the conditions to continue UNSMIS were not fulfilled, but there was also a consensus about the need of keeping a UN presence in Damascus,” Gerard Araud, Permanent Representative of France, which holds the Council’s presidency this month, told correspondents before Mulet spoke.

“On the basis of this consensus, as President of the Security Council, I sent a letter to the Secretary-General to tell him that we take note of his letter and in fact we agree with his proposal of creating a liaison office in Damascus,” Araud said.

In his letter, Ban acknowledged that the conditions to continue the mission had not been achieved, but stressed that the UN cannot discontinue its assistance to the Syrian people in helping to find an end to the crisis.

Ban also urged continued support to the Joint Special Envoy of the United Nations and League of Arab States, a post first filled by former Secretary-General Kofi Annan and now awaiting the appointment of a replacement, following Mr. Annan’s resignation.

“I think it is imperative for the United Nations to have a presence in Syria that can work in other areas to support me in utilizing my good offices, in particular, to support the work of the Joint Special Envoy in mediating and facilitating a peaceful resolution to the crisis,” Ban wrote.

“I intend therefore to work in the immediate future towards establishing an effective and flexible United Nations presence in Syria,” Ban said.

Both Araud and Mulet stressed the desired flexibility of the new structure. Mr. Mulet said that, in order not to have a gap in Damascus, staff already on the ground, who could work in the new office, were already being identified.

“UNSMIS will fade out, but there will be a UN presence,” Araud said.

“It is clear that violence is increasing in many parts of Syria,” said the UN Military Adviser, Lieutenant General Babacar Gaye, who is currently serving as the head of the UN Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS). “Our patrols are monitoring the impact of this violence, visiting internally displaced people and hospitals.”

Syria has been wracked by violence, with an estimated 17,000 people, mostly civilians, killed since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began some 17 months ago.

In the previous two weeks, there have been reports of an escalation in violence in many towns and villages, as well as the country’s two biggest cities, Damascus and Aleppo, with the latter reportedly the centre of intense combat between Government and opposition forces, involving both aerial bombardments and heavy weaponry.

Addressing a press conference in the Syrian capital, Damascus, Lieutenant General Gaye said that UNSMIS had reoriented its activities to monitor the level of violence and the use of heavy weapons, and had also intensified efforts to facilitate “local pauses” to enable assistance to civilians. The Mission had suspended its regular patrolling and monitoring activities in mid-June due to the escalating violence.

“The fighting continues and I continue to remind the parties of their obligations to respect international humanitarian law and to protect civilians. The conflict has gone on too long and far too many people are suffering,” Lieutenant General Gaye said.

“Concerning the future, UNSMIS has six days to go. We will continue to the last minute of our mandate to urge the Parties to move from confrontation to dialogue,” he added.

In separate meetings with Government officials and members of the opposition, UNSMIS officials appealed to the parties to cease military operations and come to the negotiation table, Lieutenant General Gaye said, adding that the UN is ready to support political dialogue among Syrians.

Initially set up in April for 90 days, the mission’s mandate was extended for another 30 days in late July when the Council adopted resolution 2059. That resolution also indicated that further renewals to UNSMIS’ mandate would be possible only if it can be confirmed that the use of heavy weapons has ceased and a reduction in violence by all sides was sufficient to allow the Mission to implement its mandate. With the 30-day extension, the mission’s mandate is set to expire on Sunday.

Meanwhile, various UN agencies continue to provide relief supplies to the three million people in the country who are in need of humanitarian aid.

The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) today reported that it had sent a convoy of food and medical aid to Damascus for the 2,400 Palestinian refugee families that have been affected by the conflict.

The 17-truck convoy carried 360 tons of flour, rice, sugar, lentils, chickpeas, pasta and medicines, worth $650,000. The aid was donated by Palestinian companies, businesspeople, and other individuals, and the shipment was coordinated by the Palestinian Authority with Jordanian and Syrian authorities.

“I am extremely concerned about the continued violence in Syria, in particular the significant deterioration in Aleppo and its impact on the civilian population,” said the UN Military Adviser, Lieutenant General Babacar Gaye, who is currently serving as the head of the UN Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS).

“I urge the parties to protect civilians and respect their obligations under international humanitarian law,” he added in an UNSMIS statement. “Civilians must not be subjected to shelling and use of heavy weapons.”

Syria has been wracked by violence, with an estimated 17,000 people, mostly civilians, killed since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began some 17 months ago.

Over recent days, there have been reports of an escalation in violence in many towns and villages, as well as the country’s two biggest cities, Damascus and Aleppo, with the latter reportedly the centre of intense combat between Government and opposition forces, involving both aerial bombardments and heavy weaponry.

Following reports of shortages of food, gas and electricity, the United Nations is preparing to deliver food assistance to some 28,000 people in Aleppo. The International Committee of the Red Cross and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent estimate that some 200,000 people have fled the city and the surrounding areas because of the increase in fighting.

“I call on all parties to take all necessary steps to open a dialogue as the only way to alleviate the suffering of civilians and bring this conflict to an end,” Lieutenant General Gaye said.

“The focus two weeks ago was on Damascus. The focus is now on Aleppo, where there has been a considerable build-up of military means, and where we have reason to believe that the main battle is about to start,” the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Herve Ladsous, said. He added that the fighting continues in various locations, including the capital, Damascus.

Ladsous was addressing reporters after having briefed the Security Council on the situation on the ground in the Middle Eastern country, as called for in resolution 2059, which the Council adopted in late July.

The resolution extended the mandate of the UN Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS) for another 30 days, and requested a report back to the 15-nation body on the text’s implementation within 15 days.

The resolution also indicated that further renewals to UNSMIS’ mandate would be possible only if it can be confirmed that the use of heavy weapons has ceased and a reduction in violence by all sides was sufficient to allow the Mission it to implement its mandate. With the 30-day extension, UNSMIS’ mandate is set to expire on 19 August.

“We have another 17 days to see whether something happens that will change the situation as was outlined by the resolution 2059,” Ladsous said.

“Beyond that, of course it will be for the Security Council to decide, but clearly – and I said so to the Council – the Secretary-General’s view is that the United Nations will have to somehow remain in Syria,” he added. “And this is what he is consulting about, in order to make a proposal to the Security Council in due course.”

Established in April, UNSMIS had suspended its regular patrols in mid-June due to the escalating violence, in which over 15,000 people, mostly civilians, have reportedly been killed and tens of thousands displaced since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began some 17 months ago. Over recent days, there have been reports of a build-up of forces and an escalation in violence in many towns and villages, as well as Aleppo and Damascus.

Half of the 300 of observers serving with UNSMIS were temporarily sent home in late July, in view of the constraints they faced, particularly in terms of security.

Despite the current limitations on their work, Ladsous said, the remaining observers continue to try to carry out their mandated tasks, within the framework of resolution 2059. Their tasks include monitoring the cessation of violence in Syria, as well as monitoring and supporting the full implementation of the six-point peace plan put forward by the Joint Special Envoy for the UN and the League of Arab States for the Syrian Crisis, Kofi Annan, who today announced his intention not to renew his mandate when it expires at the end of August.

“They [the observers] continue to try their best to monitor, to observe, to report. They did more than 50 patrols over the last two weeks, including some long-range patrols where they stayed overnight in places,” Ladsous said. “So they report, they inform us. And they try – wherever it’s possible – to mediate, to arrange local ceasefires, humanitarian pauses to allow civilian populations to withdraw from shelling areas.”

Earlier this week, UNSMIS observers reported an upsurge in the violence in the city of Aleppo, with helicopters, tanks and artillery being used.

“We know for a fact that the opposition does have heavy weapons – that we have seen. We have not yet seen the opposition using… those heavy weapons against Government forces. But we know that they have tanks, that they have armoured personnel carriers, etcetera – that’s a fact,” Mr. Ladsous said.

On Monday, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said it had received reports of around 200,000 people fleeing the fighting in Aleppo, with many of those people displaced within other parts of Syria, which has made humanitarian access to them difficult.

“Our observers are reporting exchange of fire, shelling and explosions in addition to use of helicopters, tanks, heavy machine guns and artillery shelling,” said the spokesperson for the UN Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS), Sausan Ghosheh, adding that observers also saw firing from a fighter jet yesterday.

Ghosheh said the violence occurred in the southeastern neighbourhoods of Aleppo, around the Salah Eddin area, with the Mission’s observers confirming that opposition forces are also in possession of heavy weapons, including tanks.

“The UN has reminded both parties of their obligation under international humanitarian law, to protect civilians,” she said in the capital, Damascus. “We call on both sides to show utmost restraint and shift from this mind-set of confrontation to a mind-set of dialogue.”

Established in April, UNSMIS had suspended its regular patrols due to the escalating violence, in which over 10,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed and tens of thousands displaced since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began some 17 months ago.

Aleppo has been the centre of intense combat between Government and opposition forces over recent days. In addition, there have been reports of an escalation in violence in many towns and villages, as well as Damascus.

Earlier this week, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon voiced deep concern about the impact of shelling and use of other heavy weapons on civilians in various locations around the country, particularly in Aleppo, where violence over recent days has also already caused a large number of civilians to flee their homes.

Today, the World Food Programme (WFP) announced that some 28,000 people in Aleppo will receive food assistance following reports of shortages of food, gas and electricity after weeks of violence.

Since the beginning of the clashes in Aleppo, the country’s most populous city, WFP and its partner, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC), have distributed food rations to close to 40,000 people.

In July alone, WFP said it provided food assistance to 541, 575 people throughout the country. However, the agency said, it had aimed to reach 850,000 people, but was prevented from doing so by fighting in Homs, Hama, Deir Ezzor, as well as Damascus and Aleppo.

In addition to distributing food to people in the country, WFP has also launched a regional refugee emergency operation to provide food to those who have fled the violence.

The number of those who have fled has significantly increased since the start of the clashes in Aleppo – the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent estimate that some 200,000 people fled the city and the surrounding areas over the past weekend.

The six-month emergency operation, which started in July, will provide food to vulnerable Syrians in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Iraq, through food vouchers. With the operation, WFP aims to assist 67,000 people this month and progressively reach 120,000 by December.

The agency also warned that the Syria operation is facing a critical funding shortfall of about $62 million.

“We found ourselves with too many people with not enough to do,” Hervé Ladsous, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, said during a news conference in Damascus.

The decision to send half of the 300 observers serving with the UN Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS) home was taken in view of the constraints they faced, particularly in terms of security, he stated, adding that the move was temporary.

“Should the circumstances change, and that is our sincere hope, then all these people will be recalled to duty,” he said.

Established by the Security Council in April, UNSMIS recently suspended its regular patrols due to the escalating violence in the country, where over 10,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed and tens of thousands displaced since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began some 16 months ago.

The Council last week extended UNSMIS for a final period of 30 days. The Mission is tasked with monitoring the cessation of violence in Syria, as well as monitoring and supporting the full implementation of the six-point peace plan put forward by the Joint Special Envoy for the UN and the League of Arab States for the Syrian Crisis, Kofi Annan.

That 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.

Ladsous, who arrived in Syria earlier this week, voiced concern about the reports of “very high levels of violence,” both in Damascus as well as in Aleppo, Deir E-Zour and Homs.

“We will try our best to contribute towards finding the solutions, but the solutions, especially the political solution, must exist in a framework and in a process that will be Syrian-owned and Syrian-led,” he said.

In a unanimously adopted resolution, the Council extended the UN Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS) for a final period of 30 days, “taking into consideration Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s recommendations to reconfigure the Mission, and taking into consideration the operational implications of the increasingly dangerous security situation in Syria.”

The Council established UNSMIS in April with an initial 90-day mandate, which expired today.

The Mission had recently suspended its regular patrols due to the escalating violence in the country, where over 10,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed and tens of thousands displaced since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began some 16 months ago.

UNSMIS was tasked with monitoring the cessation of violence in Syria, as well as monitoring and supporting the full implementation of the six-point peace plan put forward by the Joint Special Envoy for the UN and the League of Arab States for the Syrian Crisis, Kofi Annan.

With fighting now taking place in many parts of Syria, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, strongly urged all sides to make a huge effort to ensure civilians are not killed or injured.

“Conflict in urban areas is obviously especially dangerous to civilians. And far too many innocent men, women and children have already been killed and injured already, as well as a million displaced,” her spokesperson, Rupert Colville, told reporters in Geneva today.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, António Guterres, has also expressed his growing concern for the dramatic numbers of people who are fleeing their homes in Syria.

“With the spread of deadly violence, I am gravely concerned for the thousands of Syrian civilians and refugees who have been forced to flee their homes,” he stated.

Thousands of Syrians crossed into Lebanon yesterday, Melissa Fleming, spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told a news conference in Geneva, adding that there are various reports claiming that between 8,500 and 30,000 people having crossed in the past 48 hours.

In consultation with government authorities, UNHCR and partners are now in the field verifying numbers and assessing the profile and needs of newly arrived Syrians, with a particular focus on vulnerable people who may need immediate assistance.

According to the agency’s registration statistics on 18 July, 120,000 Syrian refugees sought protection in Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Turkey. According to Government estimates, the numbers are much higher, noted Ms. Fleming.

Staff from the UN Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS) observed over 50 houses that were burned and/or destroyed, according to a statement issued today that also noted that “pools of blood and brain matter were observed in a number of homes.”

The “consistent account” relayed by 27 local villagers who were interviewed by the UN team indicated that the attack began in the early hours of 12 July with the shelling of the village followed by ground operations.

“According to those interviewed, the army was conducting house to house searches asking for men and their ID cards. They alleged that after checking their identification, numerous were killed. Other men were taken out of the village.

“On the basis of some of the destruction observed in the town and the witness accounts, the attack appears targeted at army defectors and activists,” said the statement. UN observers also confirmed the use of direct and indirect weapons, including artillery, mortars and small arms.

The Mission added that the number of casualties is still unclear and that it is trying to seek further verification.

Thursday’s attack, which reportedly resulted in over 200 deaths, was condemned by UN officials as well as the Joint Special Envoy for the UN and the League of Arab States for Syria, Kofi Annan, who said the attack violated the Government’s commitment to the six-point peace plan.

That 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.

Annan will visit Moscow on Monday for two days of talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the crisis in Syria.

Meanwhile, Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson met today with the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Nabil Elaraby, on the sidelines of the African Union summit in Addis Ababa. They shared their strong concerns about the situation in Syria and expressed support for the work of Mr. Annan and the six-point plan.

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 last year.

The attack on Tremseh “appeared targeted at specific groups and houses, mainly of army defectors and activists,” said a statement issued by the spokesperson for the UN Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS).

“There were pools of blood and blood spatters in rooms of several homes together with bullet cases,” stated the Mission, which also observed a burned school and damaged houses with signs of internal burning in several of them.

“On the basis of this preliminary mission, UNSMIS can confirm that an attack, using a variety of weapons, took place.”

Thursday’s attack, which reportedly resulted in over 200 deaths, was condemned by UN officials as well as the Joint Special Envoy for the UN and the League of Arab States for Syria, Kofi Annan, who said the attack violated the Government’s commitment to the six-point peace plan.

That 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 Mission added that the number of casualties is still unclear and that observers plan to go back into Tremseh, located 25 kilometres north-west of the city of Hama, on Sunday to continue their fact-finding visit.

“UNSMIS is deeply concerned about the escalating level of violence in Syria and calls on the Government to cease the use of heavy weapons on population centres and on the parties to put down their weapons and choose the path of non-violence for the welfare of the Syrian people who have suffered enough.”

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 last year.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon discussed the situation in Syria and the need for the violence to stop at once in a telephone call with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi today. Mr. Ban called on China to use its influence to ensure the full and immediate implementation of the six-point plan and the communiqué resulting from last month’s meeting of the Action Group on Syria which forged an agreement outlining the steps for a peaceful transition in the country.

According to Syrian opposition sources, scores of people were killed on Thursday morning when the Syrian army and security forces along with pro-government militia known as Shabiha, attacked al-Treimseh near the city of Hama. Syrian state-run media have blamed “terrorist groups” for the killings.

UN mission chief Major General Robert Mood said today that UN observers are ready to go to Treimseh when a ceasefire is in place. He confirmed continuous fighting yesterday in the area of Treimseh, including the use of mechanized units, indirect fire and helicopters and said that observers were ready to go and seek verification of the facts if and when there was a credible ceasefire.

“The UN must be allowed unfettered access to investigate such incidents,” said Ann Harrison, Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Deputy Programme Director. “Without an independent presence to investigate the facts, it is impossible to verify what really happened.”

“Nonetheless, we know that a pattern of abuses has been widely reported in many areas where government forces have indiscriminately shelled towns and villages, unlawfully killing civilians, followed by incursions by the shabiha militia who have killed not only opposition fighters, but also many civilians, mainly men and boys.

“The findings of our recent field investigations in Syria, verified this pattern. Amnesty International documented evidence of grave violations, including crimes against humanity and war crimes, committed by the Syrian army in towns and villages around Idlib, Aleppo, Jebel al-Zawiyah and Jebel al-Wastani areas.”

Amnesty International said that the resolution renewing the United Nations Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS) should explicitly include a strong and adequately staffed human rights component, providing the mission with sufficient expertise, including gender and children’s rights experts, and other resources to document and report on crimes against humanity, war crimes and other grave human rights abuses committed by all sides.

“UN human rights monitors should have a rapid reaction capability to investigate specific incidents and a permanent presence in cities outside Damascus,” said Harrison.

“The UN Security Council should also require UNSMIS to regularly and publicly publish its findings on human rights violations and provide the human rights component with the necessary capacity to do so.”

“The UN Security Council must refer the situation to the prosecutor of the ICC. It has been evident for months that crimes under international law are being committed on a mass scale. An ICC referral will make clear to all sides that those who order or carry out war crimes and crimes against humanity will be brought to justice,” said Ann Harrison.