Syria Refuses Entry to U.N. Humanitarian Chief

Syria on Wednesday refused to let U.N. humanitarian chief Valerie Amos enter the country to assess the growing crisis blamed on the government's deadly clampdown on protests, the U.N. official said.

The U.N. undersecretary general had been in the region waiting for a visa to go to Damascus. But President Bashar al-Assad's government did not respond to U.N. requests, diplomats said.

"I am deeply disappointed that I have not been able to visit Syria, despite my repeated requests to meet Syrian officials at the highest level to discuss the humanitarian situation and the need for unhindered access to the people affected by the violence," Amos said in a statement.

The rejection came as Kofi Annan, the former U.N. secretary general who has been named as the international envoy on the Syria crisis, prepares to head to the region.

Annan was to hold talks in New York with U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday. Diplomats said Annan was expected to leave for the Middle East on Friday -- probably for Cairo to meet the head of the Arab League, Nabil al-Arabi.

Annan could also go to the capitals of key Security Council members, such as Russia, Assad's closest ally among the major powers.

Syria rejected a visit by Amos despite efforts by Russia to convince the government to accept her visit, a senior Western diplomat said.

Amos asked for access to all Syrian cities including Homs, which is the target of an intensive daily shelling attack by government forces.

"They clearly feel that letting her in now would be devastating for their image," the senior diplomat said.

Amos has been in Beirut and Amman holding meetings and waiting for a visa.

Syrian diplomats had indicated that their government was unlikely to accept visits by Amos and Kofi Annan.

Ban told Amos, a former minister in Britain, last week to go to Syria to urgently demand humanitarian access to cities where the United Nations now says that more than 7,500 people have been killed in 11 months.

"Given the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation, with an increasing need for medical assistance, food and basic supplies, improving access, so that assistance can reach those in urgent need, is a matter of the highest priority," Amos said.

The U.N. humanitarian chief said she backs efforts by the International Committee of the Red Cross to organize a daily pause in hostilities so that humanitarian organizations can evacuate the wounded and deliver essential supplies of food and medicine.

"Every day that we are not able to reach people, especially in the towns where there is heavy fighting, prolongs their suffering," Amos said.

"The United Nations and its partners stand ready to help humanitarian aid reach people in desperate need in Syria."