The use of chemical weapons in Syria would constitute a “crime against humanity,” UN chief Ban Ki-moon said on 23 August, adding there was “no time to lose” in investigating an alleged attack which the opposition says killed hundreds. Ban described reports of the incident near Damascus as “very alarming and shocking” and urged the regime to allow a United Nations inspection team, already on the ground in Syria, to begin a probe without delay. Footage distributed by activists showing unconscious children, people foaming around the mouth and doctors apparently administering oxygen to help them breathe has triggered revulsion around the world.
Ban’s comments, at a United Nations event in Seoul, piled more pressure on Syrian President Bashar Assad after French president Francois Hollande denounced the “likely” use of chemical weapons. “Any use of chemical weapons anywhere, by anybody, under any circumstances, would violate international law,” Ban said. “Such a crime against humanity should result in serious consequences for the perpetrator.” “This is a grave challenge to the entire international community — and to our common humanity,” he said.