,,iv #aacth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,,res4 #ebj ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,march #ad1 #bjad ,mr4 ,royce 7for himself and ,mr4 ,engel7 submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs ,,resolution ,calling for an end to attacks on ,syrian civilians and expanded humanitarian access4 ,whereas ,march #bjad marks the third year of the crisis in ,syria1 which has resulted in the world's largest ongoing humanitarian disaster1 and the urgent need for a resolution to the conflict2 ,whereas ,bashar al-,assad and supporting militias1 including ,hezbollah1 continue to carry out sectarian mass atrocities1 which have included mass targeted killings1 mass graves1 the extermination of entire families1 including their children1 incidents of ethnic cleansing1 sexual violence1 widespread torture1 aerial bombardment of residential areas1 and otherwise forced displacement of certain ,syrian civilians especially from areas in western ,syria where ,assad is attempting to increase the dominance of his own loyalists2 ,whereas the ,united ,states ,government should not continue to officially recognize a regime that is guilty of such vicious abuses of basic human rights on such a vast scale2 ,whereas the ,united ,states ,department of ,state took appropriate action on ,march #e1 #bjad1 in restricting the movements of ,assad's loyal representative to the ,united ,nations1 ,bashar al-,jaafari1 to within a #be-mile radius of ,new ,york ,city2 ,whereas approximately #adj1jjj people have been killed1 including more than #aa1jjj children1 many more have been seriously wounded1 and civilian casualties continue to mount as widespread and systematic attacks on schools1 hospitals1 and other civilian facilities persist in violation of international norms and principles2 ,whereas the ,united ,nations has registered more than #b1ejj1jjj ,syrian refugees who have fled to neighboring countries1 while regional governments and the ,united ,nations estimate that the total number of refugees already has reached more than #c1jjj1jjj2 ,whereas the ,united ,nations expects the total refugee count to reach over #d1jjj1jjj ,syrians by the end of #bjad2 ,whereas approximately half of ,syrian refugees are children1 including nearly #ejj1jjj under the age of #e1 and thousands have been separated from their parents and are especially vulnerable to abuse and exploitation2 ,whereas the ,united ,nations estimates that over #i1jjj1jjj civilians are in need of humanitarian assistance within ,syria1 more than #dj percent of the country's total population1 including #f1ejj1jjj internally displaced persons2 ,whereas ,bashar al-,assad's forces1 supporting militias1 and other parties to the conflict are systematically blocking humanitarian aid delivery1 including food and medical care1 from many civilian areas in violation of international norms and principles2 ,whereas the ,united ,nations estimates that #c1jjj1jjj ,syrians are trapped in hard-to-reach or besieged areas1 with an estimated #bej1jjj cut off from assistance for over a year2 ,whereas the crisis has worsened already difficult conditions for ,syrian women and girls1 who are especially vulnerable to economic hardship and gender-based violence1 including early marriage1 forced marriage1 trafficking1 sexual violence1 or the fear of sexual violence2 ,whereas over #e1jjj1jjj children affected by the conflict desperately need food1 clean water1 shelter1 and medical care2 ,whereas millions of ,syrian children have been forced out of school1 and an entire generation of young ,syrians are being shaped by violence1 displacement1 and persistent lack of opportunity and are therefore at high risk of exploitation1 life-long underdevelopment1 and radicalization2 ,whereas the ,world ,health ,organization estimates that #gj percent of ,syria's medical professionals1 up to #hj1jjj people1 have fled the country1 while remaining professionals are deliberately targeted by parties to the conflict2 ,whereas regional states1 including ,jordan1 ,lebanon1 ,turkey1 ,egypt and ,iraq1 are hosting well over #b1jjj1jjj refugees2 ,whereas despite the attention and resources refugee camps receive1 most refugees from ,syria1 #hc percent regionally1 do not live in formal refugee camps but rather among host communities where resources and services1 including health1 water and sanitation1 electricity1 and other systems are strained at the municipal and national level2 ,whereas many members of the ,syrian-,american community1 especially medical professionals1 have generously donated their time and money1 while taking great personal risk1 in heroic efforts to reach those in need inside ,syria with humanitarian assistance2 ,whereas the ,united ,nations launched its largest appeal in its history for a single humanitarian emergency in ,december #bjac1 requesting an unprecedented #f1ejj1jjj1jjj in #bjad for the ,syrian response1 representing nearly half of the ,united ,nations entire global humanitarian request2 and ,whereas the ,united ,states has provided #a1gjj1jjj1jjj in assistance to those suffering inside ,syria1 as well as refugees and host communities in neighboring countries and has committed to continue to increase its humanitarian contributions for those affected by the conflict3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,house of ,representatives-- 7#a7 strongly condemns all parties' attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure in ,syria1 including attacks on medical personnel1 schools1 and health facilities1 and the use of explosive weapons1 including 8barrel bombs0 and missiles1 in populated areas1 and calls on ,bashar al-,assad's regime and supporting militias1 as well as all other parties to the conflict in ,syria1 to end the violence against civilians1 respect international norms and principles1 and pursue all appropriate diplomatic options to work toward a negotiated end to the crisis2 7#b7 demands that ,bashar al-,assad's regime and supporting militias1 as well as all other parties to the conflict in ,syria1 immediately cease attacks upon civilians and civilian infrastructure1 facilitate unfettered humanitarian access1 especially that of domestic and international medical professionals1 throughout the country1 respect the safety and security of humanitarian workers1 and ensure freedom of movement for humanitarian workers and organizations so they may deliver aid to those most in need2 7#c7 calls for the immediate and full implementation of the provisions of the ,october #bjac ,united ,nations ,security ,council ,presidential ,statement1 especially including facilitation of the expansion of humanitarian relief operations in accordance with international humanitarian norms2 7#d7 calls for the immediate1 full and ,united ,nations-monitored implementation of the provisions of the #bjad ,united ,nations ,security ,council ,resolution #baci to promptly allow unhindered humanitarian access1 including across conflict lines 7for the ,united ,nations and its partners7 to people in need throughout ,syria2 7#e7 urges the ,administration and allies of the ,united ,states to formally withdraw their recognition of ,bashar al-,assad's regime as the rightful ,government of ,syria1 unless and until the ,assad regime and its supporting militias discontinue their barbaric slaughter1 systematic starvation1 and other grave human rights abuses and are granted full and unfettered access for deliveries of humanitarian assistance1 even as other negotiations with ,assad's regime may continue2 7#f7 further calls upon the ,united ,nations ,security ,council1 acting under ,article #e of the ,charter of the ,united ,nations1 to suspend the ,government of ,syria's rights and privileges of membership by the ,general ,assembly until such time as the ,assad regime has ceased attacks upon civilians1 and granted free and unfettered access for deliveries of humanitarian assistance throughout the territory of ,syria2 7#g7 urges all donors1 regional and otherwise1 to meet the #bjad ,united ,nations humanitarian funding appeal2 7#h7 commends regional governments and communities for continuing to host ,syrian refuges and urges them to keep their borders open to civilians fleeing the ,syria conflict2 7#i7 calls upon the ,assad regime1 the ,syrian opposition1 and all other parties to the conflict1 the ,administration1 and the ,united ,nations to improve their facilitation and support for the ,syrian-,american community1 especially medical professionals1 as they work to aid the ,syrian people with all forms of humanitarian assistance2 7#aj7 calls for continued international support of neighboring countries and host communities that are supporting refugees fleeing the ,syrian conflict2 7#aa7 calls for international investment in education in host countries to expand learning opportunities for refugee children1 and support programs that help them gain access to quality instruction1 protect them from violence and abuse1 and provide counseling2 7#ab7 calls on the international community to ensure that vulnerable refugee and displaced women and girls have access to services and programs1 implement steps to mitigate risks and prevent gender-based violence1 and assure the protection of women and girls against sexual exploitation1 early marriage1 human trafficking1 and rape2 7#ac7 calls for the meaningful participation of ,syrian civil society1 including women representatives1 in the overall humanitarian response1 political processes1 and peace negotiations2 7#ad7 urges international donors and aid agencies to integrate humanitarian relief and longer-term development programs through a comprehensive strategy to address the protracted ,syrian crisis2 and 7#ae7 calls on the ,president of the ,united ,states to develop and submit to ,congress within #fj days from adoption of this resolution a strategy for ,united ,states engagement on the ,syria crisis1 with a specific focus on humanitarian assistance and development1 and protecting human rights inside ,syria and in the region4