UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday said that the Security Council commitments to relieve the humanitarian situation must be backed by action.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday said that the Security Council commitments to relieve the humanitarian situation must be backed by action.

"The Security Council has... made a strong commitment to relieve the humanitarian situation to reach millions of desperate civilians. Now these commitments must be backed by action," Ban told journalists in Budapest, where he opened a UN conference.

"I call on all parties to respect international humanitarian and human rights law, end the violence and work for a political solution," he added.

Last week, the UN Security Council demanded immediate and "unhindered" access to hundreds of thousands ofpeople trapped in the conflict, urging both sides but "in particular the Syrian authorities" to help UN agencies and private aid groups.

Ban on Tuesday also praised the UN resolution ordering the destruction of Syria’s chemical arsenal as "a hopeful sign after more than two and a half years of deadlock".

Ban was in Budapest to open a UN water summit.