Professor Paul McMaster:

I was hoping the Deputy would tell me the answers to those questions. He is right that anger gained in the field does not solve problems. I normally wear another hat in headquarters, but I come here very much as a field doctor. A medical organisation needs to be very careful in these situations. I was in Somalia for six months where I saw the best efforts come to very little. I have worked in the Democratic Republic of Congo and various other spots and it was extremely difficult. It is very important that we look to people with wide experience who are involved in the wider dimension in Geneva and elsewhere. What I say to the Deputy from a medical and humanitarian point of view is that we look to the international community to do all it can to facilitate access to medical care. That is the plea I make. There are ways of doing this and different models; in some areas one is more likely to be successful, but as humanitarians, we press the international community to do this. Ireland will shortly hold the Presidency of the European Union and I know with its generous history of support of humanitarian action, that it will consider this option.

On a personal level, I am almost more worried about the peace rather than the fighting in Syria. I do not want to be misunderstood, but when one listens to the people there, they say they are going to win the war and when one asks what will happen then, there is silence. I encourage members to use their wisdom and experience to look at the peace model. We have been in Sudan for 13 or 14 years and my fear is that if we are not very careful, we could be in Syria for a long number of years unless folk can find a way to ensure peace means real peace for all Syrians. I know I have not answered the Deputy's questions, but-----