Attachments
New York, 8 January 2025
As delivered
Thank you, Mr. President.
And thank you to Special Envoy Pedersen.
Mr. President,
Recent weeks have been less turbulent than those that preceded our last discussion, but the scale of the humanitarian crisis remains as significant.
Following my briefing to you from Damascus, I traveled to Homs, Aleppo and Idleb to meet Syrian civilians and humanitarians.
As Special Envoy Pedersen underlined, we must seize the opportunity of this moment.
These visits underscored three critical humanitarian challenges that we and the people of Syria face.
First: the need to preserve and rebuild essential services.
Health services – already weakened by years of conflict – have been further closed or scaled back at a time when nearly 15 million people require humanitarian health support.
Access to water has been restricted, including by fighting at the Tishreen Dam in Eastern Aleppo, affecting water and electricity for more than 400,000 people.
And close to 13 million people are still facing acute food insecurity, at a time when WFP has been forced to reduce food assistance by 80 per cent in the past two years due to funding shortfalls.
Lack of food, water and power is exacerbated by lack of fuel and liquidity.
A second priority: protection of civilians. While many of those uprooted in November and December have returned to their homes, more than 620,000 people remain displaced, as harsh winter conditions arrive in many parts of the country.
This comes on top of the more than 7 million who were already displaced.
In the north-west alone, 2 million people remain in camps and informal sites.
In Idleb, I met some of those civilians at Tajmo Allij camp. Most want to return home but cite a lack of adequate services and infrastructure damage, as well as unexploded munitions.
And in Aleppo, I met children injured by the deadly legacy of conflict. Partners have identified more than 100 contaminated locations since late November, across Aleppo, Idleb, Hama and Lattakia.
Air strikes have killed civilians and damaged civilian infrastructure.
And in the south, Israeli incursions have forced civilians, including children, injured and residents, to evacuate parts of Quneitra governorate.
A third priority, a third risk: the threat that women and girls will be marginalized. Throughout my visit, I was struck by their determination to contribute to Syria’s future.
Rayan, a 12-year-old girl in Aleppo who lost her leg to an unexploded ordnance, hopes to be a doctor.
Zainab, whose husband was held at Sednaya prison for years, and who received his death certificate the morning that we met, wants to see her children complete their education.
Jamila, who is raising four children alone, wants to pursue a university degree.
Syria’s future depends on women like Rayan, Zainab and Jamila. Their voices must be heard in this critical period.
Mr. President,
As the security situation has stabilized, we have been able to resume our humanitarian operations at much greater scale.
In December, we sent 298 trucks of aid through border crossings with Türkiye, as many as crossed during the previous six months.
WHO has supported an EU Humanitarian Air Bridge providing 50 tons of supplies to northern Syria.
In the north-east, a cholera vaccination campaign is underway in Al-Hol camp.
UNICEF and partners have led work to restore the functioning of the Tishreen Dam, and to rehabilitate other water supplies, including the Ain al-Bayda station.
WFP and partners have provided bread for more than 2.5 million people.
Children and mothers are receiving treatment for malnutrition.
But we must do more. We will this month roll out a country-wide rapid needs assessment. We are also adjusting our coordination structures to meet the new operational context.
Mr. President, as ever, I have three asks of the Security Council.
Firstly: your support for the clear assurances I received from the caretaker authorities that international humanitarian law will be respected, civilians protected, and humanitarian organizations allowed to operate freely.
We are continuing our engagement with the caretaker authorities on putting in place new ways of working, including new procedures for registering NGOs. We remain in daily contact on practicalities. And I assessed that partnership to be serious and genuine. But security, particularly in Aleppo, Deir ez-Zor, Lattakia and Tartous, remains a challenge.
Occasional theft and looting have impeded vaccination support in Homs and insulin supply in Hama. And capacity gaps clearly remain.
My second ask, as ever: money, including for the longer-term support Syria needs. Our humanitarian response is only a third funded.
Today, I have allocated from the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund an additional US$8 million, for a total of $20 million to support the rapid scaling of humanitarian operations in Syria.
We welcome recent aid announcements for Syria, including, importantly, from the region. The UN and partners stand ready to coordinate even more closely to ensure this support has the greatest benefit collectively for the people across the country.
My third ask: We need to ensure efficient flow of support into and through Syria.
This means that any sanctions should not impede humanitarian support. The United States' announcement of a new General License covering transactions with Syrian governing institutions provides a welcome signal.
It also means support for and from Syria's neighbours.
Following my visit to Syria, I held practical discussions with authorities in Türkiye, in Lebanon and in Jordan.
Operations are continuing at scale through border crossings with Türkiye, but cross-line movement remains a challenge in the north-east of Syria.
Existing procedures – including for movement of aid workers – have been reinstated at the Lebanese border crossing.
The Jaber Nasib crossing with Jordan is also operational, though procedures for humanitarian movements are still being clarified.
We are working with the caretaker authorities in Damascus to quickly establish clear procedures at this crossing and the seaports.
We are also testing the use of deliveries through Iraq, to complement existing movements by NGO partners.
Mr. President,
The active engagement of this Council – and the international community – remains vital in this period of uneasy transition. We need to act with great urgency and vigor.
Above all, and all power to Special Envoy Pedersen's elbow, we need the peaceful political transition that will help us to reduce humanitarian needs.
We must stand with the people of Syria at this time. The humanitarian operation can make great impact if we are committed, serious and bold.
Thank you.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
In Geneva: Jens Laerke, laerke@un.org, +41 79 472 9750
In New York: Amanda Price, amanda.price@un.org, +1 917 853 2839
Disclaimer
- UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
- To learn more about OCHA's activities, please visit https://www.unocha.org/.