David Miliband Explains the Humanitarian Crisis in Idlib

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR: You know, we’ve had you on many times. And each time, you give a very eloquent disposition about what’s happening to the people on the ground. And even as we speak, there’s a U.N. meeting going on. And where does it bring us? If the world doesn’t act now, this terrible catastrophe is going to get worse.

DAVID MILIBAND: You’re right. What we are seeing from some of the extraordinary journalism by people like Arwa Damon is a political emergency as well as a humanitarian emergency. The pictures and the stories are absolutely telling of a de-humanization that really shames everyone. But the political gridlock is also very, very striking. Not just the competence and the inhumanity with which hospitals and people fleeing are being bombed and shelled, but also the politicians and governments who are turning away to focus on other matters. I think this really is now a question of fundamental importance for the meaning and purpose of the United Nations. And I would like to see either secretary general of the U.N. get on a plane and go to Idlib, talk to the people that you have been talking to, that your correspondent has been talking to, go to Moscow, talk to the Russian backers of the Syrian government, of course, talk to the Turks and then come back to New York and urge and drive and shame the nations of the United Nations to live up to the most founding elements of the U.N. Charter of 75 years ago.

AMANPOUR: Well, that’s pretty strong coming from you, directly to the secretary general. Why do you think he doesn’t do that? That is within his remit. It is within his power. Even if he can’t turn on and off a switch, he can bring the moral case to the world and the world’s case to the backers.

MILIBAND: Well, rail politic is what’s led us to this impasse. It’s important to underline what your correspondent said, which is that, this is the largest displacement of people since the war began, and that’s nine years of war, 6 million refugees, 8 million internally displaced. Over just this weekend, 130,000 people driven from their homes with nothing to hold, not even the children’s teddy bears that you referred to in the film. And the fundamental aspect of the post-war order is that civilians in war should be protected. And I call this an age of impunity because there is no accountability for those who are literally committing war crimes as we speak.