US to consider humanitarian aid to Syrian people

Feb 7, 2012, 21:07 GMT

Washington - The United States is weighing the possibility of providing humanitarian aid to the Syrian people, even as it continues to pressure the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, the White House said Tuesday.

Spokesman Jay Carney ruled out the possibility that the United States would consider sending weapons to arm the Syrian rebels.

'We are exploring the possibility of providing humanitarian aid to Syrians, and we are working with our partners again to ratchet up the pressure, ratchet up the isolation on Assad and his regime,' Carney said.

State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said the US would continue to work with other countries to strengthen regional and unilateral sanctions, despite the failure of a UN Security Council resolution over the weekend. The US would continue to pressure countries providing weapons to the Syrian government.

The US would work with other 'friends of a democratic Syria' to support the Syrian opposition and assist in the humanitarian situation, she said: 'It's, frankly, not clear how much we're going to be able to do, but we want to help.'

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