UN Security Council urges protection for disabled

The UN Security Council approved Thursday a resolution calling on the international community and parties to armed conflict to ensure the protection of disabled persons in war zones and humanitarian crises.

The resolution is reportedly a response to testimony from Nujeen Mustafa, a 20-year-old Syrian refugee with cerebral palsy, who called on the council to protect Syria's disabled.

The 15-member council unanimously adopted Resolution 2475, which was sponsored by Poland and the United Kingdom.

The resolution's passage marks the first time the Security Council has called for the protection of disabled persons in conflict.

It "urges all parties to armed conflict to take measures, in accordance with applicable international law obligations to protect civilians, including those with disabilities, and to prevent violence and abuses against civilians in situations of armed conflict," according to AFP.