,,iii #aacth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 ,,res4 #chd ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,march #ac1 #bjad ,mr4 ,kaine 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,rubio1 ,mr4 ,durbin1 ,ms4 ,klobuchar1 ,mr4 ,murphy1 ,mr4 ,leahy1 ,mr4 ,cardin1 ,mrs4 ,shaheen1 ,mr4 ,menendez1 ,mrs4 ,gillibrand1 ,mrs4 ,boxer1 ,mr4 ,whitehouse1 ,mr4 ,casey1 ,mr4 ,blumenthal1 ,mr4 ,warner1 ,mr4 ,kirk1 ,mr4 ,king1 ,mr4 ,markey1 and ,mr4 ,cruz7 submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations ,,resolution ,expressing the sense of the ,senate concerning the humanitarian crisis in ,syria and neighboring countries1 resulting humanitarian and development challenges1 and the urgent need for a political solution to the crisis4 ,whereas ,united ,nations ,security ,council ,resolution #baci1 adopted on ,february #bb1 #bjad1 expresses grave alarm at the significant and rapid deterioration of the humanitarian situation in ,syria1 in particular the dire situation of hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped in besieged areas1 most of whom are besieged by the ,syrian armed forces and some by opposition groups1 as well as the dire situation of over #c1jjj1jjj people in hard-to-reach areas1 and deplores the difficulties in providing1 and the failure to provide1 access for the humanitarian assistance to all civilians in need inside ,syria2 ,whereas widespread and systematic attacks on civilians1 schools1 hospitals1 and other civilian infrastructure1 in violation of international humanitarian law1 continue in ,syria1 and parties to the conflict are blocking humanitarian aid delivery1 including food and medical care from many civilian areas2 ,whereas the ,world ,health ,organization estimates that #gj percent of ,syria's health professionals1 up to #hj1jjj people1 have fled the country1 cases of typhoid1 tuberculosis1 polio and other diseases are rampant and increasing1 and medical personnel inside ,syria are deliberately targeted by parties to the conflict2 ,whereas the ,united ,nations ,high ,commissioner for ,refugees 7,,unhcr7 has registered more than #b1ejj1jjj ,syrian refugees1 nearly #hj percent of whom are women and children1 and by the end of this year1 the ,united ,nations estimates the number of refugees will increase to #d1jjj1jjj2 ,whereas nearly #ejj1jjj refugees from the ,syrian conflict are children under the age of five1 and more than #aa1jjj children have been killed and thousands more have suffered severe injuries1 including burns1 shrapnel wounds1 the severing of limbs1 and spinal cord injuries2 ,whereas over #e1jjj1jjj children affected by the conflict desperately need food1 clean water1 shelter1 medical care and psychosocial support2 ,whereas1 since #bjaa1 nearly #c1jjj1jjj ,syrian children have been forced to quit their education as fighting has destroyed classrooms1 left children too terrified to go to school1 and forced families to flee the country2 ,whereas the refugee crisis threatens the stability of the ,middle ,east1 putting immense burdens on ,syria's neighbors1 most notably ,lebanon and ,jordan1 as well as ,turkey and ,iraq2 and ,whereas the ,united ,states ,government has played a leading role in addressing the ,syrian crisis1 providing #a1gjj1jjj1jjj in humanitarian assistance to those suffering inside ,syria1 as well as to refugees and host communities in the neighboring countries3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,senate-- 7#a7 strongly condemns the unlawful use of violence against civilians by all parties to the conflict in ,syria1 particularly the ongoing violence and widespread human rights violations perpetrated against the people of ,syria by the ,government of ,syria2 7#b7 urges all parties to the conflict to immediately halt indiscriminate attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure2 7#c7 affirms the neutrality of medical professionals providing humanitarian assistance and health care on a non-political basis1 and condemns attacks against such personnel or interference in the provision of medical care2 7#d7 urges all parties in ,syria to allow for and facilitate immediate1 unfettered access to humanitarian aid throughout the ,syrian ,arab ,republic1 respecting the safety1 security1 independence1 and impartiality of humanitarian workers and ensuring freedom of movement to deliver aid2 7#e7 supports the immediate and full implementation of ,united ,nations ,security ,council ,resolution #baci 7#bjad71 which calls for unimpeded access of humanitarian assistance to all ,syrians to address the rapid deterioration of the humanitarian situation in ,syria1 in particular the dire situation of hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped in besieged areas1 most of whom are besieged by the ,syrian armed forces and some by opposition groups1 as well as the dire situation of over #c1jjj1jjj people in hard-to-reach areas2 7#f7 calls on the international community to assist the people of ,syria1 especially internally displaced persons and refugees1 in meeting basic needs1 including access to food1 health care1 shelter1 and clean drinking water2 7#g7 calls on the international community to support civilians and innocent victims of the conflict in ,syria1 particularly women and children who are displaced and vulnerable to physical and psychological exploitation2 7#h7 calls on the international community to implement steps that prevent gender-based violence1 and assure the protection of women and girls against sexual exploitation1 human trafficking1 and rape2 7#i7 calls on the international community to continue to support neighboring countries and host communities who are generously supporting refugees fleeing the conflict in ,syria2 7#aj7 calls on the international community to increase investment for education in host communities to expand learning opportunities for refugee children and to support programs that help children gain access to quality education1 protect them from violence and abuse1 and provide counseling and psychosocial support2 7#aa7 calls on countries that are hosting refugees in the region to support refugee self-reliance and dignity by expanding employment opportunities for refugees2 7#ab7 calls on international donors and aid agencies to integrate humanitarian relief and longer term development programs through a comprehensive regional strategy to address the protracted crisis in ,syria2 and 7#ac7 calls on the ,president to develop and submit to the appropriate committees of ,congress within #ij days from adoption of this resolution a strategy for ,united ,states engagement in addressing the ,syrian humanitarian crisis1 to include assistance and development1 and protecting human rights inside ,syria and in the region4