On February 10, 2014 both Russia's and China's UN ambassadors were no-shows at the UN Security Council meeting to discuss the Western and Arab-backed Syria resolution.
The Russian ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, told the New York Times: "This text would not have any practical, positive impact on the situation". The Chinese ambassador, Liu Jieyi, said that he was "concerned that a humanitarian resolution would disrupt the political talks underway in Geneva" but he refused to say whether China would veto a proposed resolution.
The draft resolution, which was presented to the 15 Council members on February 11, 2014, "condemns attacks against humanitarian workers, expresses 'grave alarm' at the plight of civilians trapped in the fighting, most of whom it said are 'besieged by the Syrian armed forces,' and deplores blockades of aid. it specifically calls on the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad to cease 'aerial bombardment' against civilians, including the use of so-called barrel bombs; urges rebels to dissociate themselves from terrorist groups, including Al Qaeda; and calls on foreign fighters, including members of Hezbollah from Lebanon and the Quds Force from Iran, to leave the country. It also contains a paragraph on accountability for war criminals, and proposes imposing measures on individuals and entities that obstruct aid delivery."
The UN emergency relief coordinator Valerie Amos, who has avoided calling for a resolution, is supposed to brief the UN Security Council on Syria on February 13, 2014. Only after a briefing are Council members likely to decide whether to put the resolution to a vote.
In the meantime the Syrians are dying. On February 9, 2014, a convoy of aid workers with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent accompanied by United Nations officials came under fire when it tried to reach a besieged city of Homs and 11 people were killed as aid workers delivered food and medicine. The UN Secretary-General's office refused to comment on who might have fired at a convoy. "I don't think we would want to get into apportioning blame," said Martin Nesirky, a spokesman for the Secretary-General.