The United Nations Security Council has made a rare show of unity on Syria, voting to demand immediate access to Homs for UN humanitarian chief Valerie Amos and her team.

The press statement does not cover political issues such as how President Bashar al-Assad's regime should be dealt with or whether former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan should be appointed as a special envoy to Syria.

Russia and China, which on the same day voted against a UN Human Rights Council resolution accusing Assad's regime of possible crimes against humanity, backed the statement on humanitarian access.

Al Jazeera's Kristen Saloomey reports from the United Nations.