Europe - Feb 21, 2012 - 20:00

The UN under secretary-general for humanitarian affairs Valerie Amos on Tuesday called on Syria to allow aid groups unimpeded access to the country.

"This is a major human rights crisis that is now moving into significant humanitarian consequences," Amos said after talks with EU aid commissioner Kristalina Georgieva.

"I call on all parties to to resist violence, to recognise the importance of protection of civilians and grant unimpeded acces to the humanitarian community so that we can help those people in desperate need," she added.

She also said she welcomed the dispatch last week of several International Committee of the Red Cross convoys and backed its call for a daily truce of two hours in Syria so it can deliver vital aid.