UN / SYRIA POLITICAL HUMANITARIAN

Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria, Geir Pedersen said that as the grim specter of regional conflict loomed over Syria once again, he is “extremely alarmed at this dangerous and escalatory spiral.”

The Special Envoy today (25 Apr) briefed the Council on the situation in Syria, via video link.

Pedersen said that he has long warned that Syria is “treated by many as a sort of free-for-all space for sending scores.”

He expressed that he is not only worried about regional spillover effects, and “the grave dangers for miscalculation and escalation,” he is also “deeply worried about the conflict in Syria itself, which continues to blight the lives of the long-suffering Syrian people.”

Pedersen noted that during this month, in the northwest, pro-Government missile and drone strikes were reported again, and Security Council-listed terrorist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham launched multiple crossline attacks. In the northeast, there were reports of Turkish drone-strikes, exchanges of fire between armed opposition groups and Syrian Democratic Forces, alongside a growing insurgency by some tribal elements against the SDF. In the southwest, security incidents remain at elevated levels with reports of open clashes between former armed opposition groups and Syrian Government forces, as well as incidents related to criminal activities on the border. And ISIL terrorist attacks continued with sustained intensity, across the Syrian desert and the northeast in particular.

The Special Envoy stressed, “We need regional de-escalation, starting with an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza. All players must exercise maximum restraint and respect international law.”

He continued, “We must work towards a nationwide ceasefire in Syria too, in line with Security Council resolution 2254. All actors must comply with international humanitarian law and protect civilians, including when addressing Security Council listed terrorist groups.”

Pedersen also highlighted that The detainee crisis remains as acute as ever. Children, women, men – of all ages and across all parts of Syria – remain subjected to unlawful arbitrary detention, forced conscription, and forced separation from their families. Reports continue of detainees being deprived of food and medical treatment, and subjected to torture and sexual violence – across all areas of Syria.

He said, “Such practices must stop. Children, and people who are old or ill, should be released immediately. And the authorities in government areas, and those in de facto control of other areas too, must grant specialized independent humanitarian organisations access to all detention facilities and prisons, and ensure communication with families.”

The Special Envoy also said, “Syrians need to see a political path out of this conflict, in line with resolution 2254. Renewing the Constitutional Committee could be a piece of that path. But despite intense efforts, we still are not seeing its meetings resume, due to issues unrelated to Syria.”

He stressed that he remains open to any alternative venue to Geneva that attracts consensus of both the Syrian parties and the host, and his engagement is continuing on this. But in the meantime, he continues to appeal for sessions to resume in Geneva as a bridging option and for the parties to prepare on substance, including Constitutional proposals.

For his part, UN senior humanitarian official Ramesh Rajasingham told the Council, “For Syria, it was an important reminder that an estimated one third of communities across the country are affected by explosive remnants of war.”

“Agricultural land is particularly impacted, with significant consequences for food production and livelihoods,” he added.

Rajasingham continued, “Landmines and explosive remnants of war also make the work of humanitarian organizations much more difficult.”

He explained, “In more than half of all sub-districts across Syria, the presence of unexploded ordnance is considered a major impediment to the safe delivery of humanitarian assistance.”

“As we have stressed repeatedly,” the UN senior humanitarian official said, “all parties to the conflict must respect international humanitarian law. This includes taking constant care to spare civilians and civilian objects, including humanitarian personnel and their assets, in the course of military operations.”

Rajasingham also told the Council members that the UN and its humanitarian partners continue to provide critical assistance to millions of people across Syria. But the ability to deliver is steadily being eroded by alarming reductions in funding.

He said that OCHA has already had to make extremely difficult decisions on prioritizing life-saving assistance for the most vulnerable, targeting 10.8 million people out of a total 16.7 million in need.

In 2024, OCHA is appealing for $4 billion in funding, a significant reduction from 2023 despite an increase in needs.

“Funding for assistance to Palestinian refugees affected by the Syria crisis has also fallen dramatically in the past year. This has affected UNRWA’s ability to provide emergency cash, food, and other support to 438,000 Palestinian refugees in Syria,” Rajasingham added.

Syrian Ambassador Koussay Aldahhak said that the three western permanent members of the Council “stood by the Israeli occupation entity. They provided it with political, media and financial support. They opened their weapons warehouses.”

He continued, “Those, emboldening it to pursue its crimes against the Palestinian people and citizens of other countries of the region, in an attempt to escalate the situation in the region and to drag the region to an open regional war.”

Ambassador Aldahhak reaffirmed “the need to end the illegitimate foreign presence on Syrian territories and calls for an immediate full and unconditional lifting of UCMs (Unilateral Coercive Measures).”

“We emphasize the need to review the structure of the work of the United Nations and Syria and to limit their mandate and activities to the UN offices in Damascus and full coordination and cooperation with the Syrian government,” he concluded.