Briefing to the Security Council on the humanitarian situation in Syria by Ms. Edem Wosornu, Director, Crisis Response Division, OCHA, on behalf of Tom Fletcher, USG and Emergency Relief Coordinator

As delivered

Thank you, Mr. President

As Syria enters the second year of its new chapter, the determination of its people to build a better future is both palpable and encouraging.

Recent weeks have underscored how acutely vulnerable the country is to the impacts of hostilities and natural disasters such as winter storms – and why humanitarian needs remain substantial.

Earlier this month, clashes in Aleppo city forced tens of thousands of people to flee their homes, though most have been able to return since the 11 January ceasefire we just heard about.

Fighting also spread into eastern Aleppo, and parts of Ar-Raqqa, Deir ez-Zor and Al-Hasakah governorates.

As of 18 January, more than 13,000 people had fled from Ar-Raqqa governorate. Many families sought refuge at collective centres in Qamishli.

The fighting has cut people off from clean water, some hospitals have been forced to close, and many children cannot attend school. The closure of the main artery between Homs and Ar Raqqa and damaged bridges – along with explosive ordnance – have affected humanitarians’ ability to deliver aid.

Displaced families face bitter winter conditions and desperately need shelter, food and heating.

Mr. President,

Despite fighting and access challenges, the United Nations and its partners continue to deliver aid.

In Aleppo, we have been providing shelter, food, medicines, nutrition support and protection services, in close coordination with the Government of Syria. We are also supporting people returning to their homes in neighborhoods affected by the upheaval.

Reception centres have been set up in Al Hasakeh and Qamishli, and the UN and our partners are providing food across Ar-Raqqa, Tabqa and Al-Hasakeh.

The Syria Humanitarian Fund has released US$2.5 million to rapidly assist displaced people and cushion the effects of severe winter conditions.

At Al-Hol camp – as we have just heard – hosting thousands of women and children with suspected family to ties to ISIL – SDF forces withdrew from their positions on 20 January, and the Syrian Internal Security Forces established a security perimeter around the camp premises.

Yesterday, UNHCR and UNICEF teams reached the camp, and UNHCR – which has taken over camp management responsibilities – is actively coordinating with the Syrian Government to urgently resume the safe delivery of life-saving humanitarian assistance.

Mr. President, Members of the Council,

In As-Sweida, in southern Syria, though the situation remains calm, 155,000 people who have been uprooted since July last year cannot return home due to the fragile security.

Commercial supplies and basic services remain insufficient to meet people’s needs, leaving many to rely on humanitarian assistance. The United Nations and our partners continue to support nearly 400,000 people every month in As-Sweida and neighbouring governorates.

Meanwhile, clearing explosive remnants remains a critical priority across Syria, with over 540 people killed and nearly 1,000 injured in 2025. Widespread contamination continues to impede people’s return to their homes and the rebuilding of livelihoods, particularly for farmers.

Mr. President,

Recent weeks have also shown how vulnerable Syria is to extreme weather.

Heavy snowstorms and extreme cold in northern areas have affected nearly 160,000 people living in camps, damaging shelters and contributing to the deaths of two infants.

The United Nations is providing heating fuel and winter assistance, but only a quarter of the $112 million needed to support people this season has been received, leaving our partners able to reach only a fraction of the 2 million people they hoped to support this winter.

Syria is still reeling from the impact of drought-like conditions, which damaged 70 per cent of the last wheat harvest. While increased rainfall has helped to restore water levels in some areas, it has also flooded and damaged land across several governorates.

Mr. President,

In spite of these challenges, Syrians across the country continue to work to build a brighter future.

More than 3 million refugees and internally displaced people have returned to their homes since December of 2024.

And we have started to see some encouraging, if still limited, improvements in humanitarian indicators. Food security has improved slightly, but only one in five families are consistently meeting their nutritional needs.

Syria can make further progress in reducing humanitarian needs, but this hinges on three requirements from international partners, including this Council:

First, increased investment in recovery and development.

Years of conflict and underinvestment have left communities across Syria with significant shortfalls in services, infrastructure and financial access.

Government-led efforts are underway to help address these gaps. But given the scale of the challenge, international partners must step up with swift and sizable support and provide targeted development finance so that the most vulnerable are not left behind.

Second, sufficient and sustained humanitarian funding in the near term.

Large-scale development investments will take time to mobilize and bear fruit. In the meantime, immediate lifesaving assistance must continue.

In 2025, the United Nations and our partners received only one-third of the $3.2 billion we needed. With this, we were able to do a lot. We were able to reach 3.4 million people with critical aid every month, out of the 10.3 million people we targeted.

We thank all donors who have helped Syrians – both inside Syria and in neighbouring countries – over the years. We welcome the recent announcement by the United States that Syria is among the humanitarian operations it will support through OCHA-managed pooled funds. We are also grateful to those donors, who have already made early contributions for 2026.

And third, active diplomacy to prevent further violence and protect civilians.

The recent clashes in Aleppo and beyond show how instability continues to force families from their homes, strains already limited humanitarian resources and slows development and recovery efforts.

We hope the recent ceasefire agreement will translate into the stability that the people of Syria need.

Mr. President,

Reversing a humanitarian crisis of the scale and complexity of Syria’s was never going to be easy.

But we must do all we can to support the people of Syria in this effort.

We owe it to people like Hanan, who lost the restaurant she owns in Aleppo during recent clashes and told us: “We have endured so much, especially in this bitter cold, and we are exhausted. All we want is safety and security.” Despite the hardship, she conveyed her belief in a Syria of hope, joy, and solidarity.

Thank you.