New York, 13 December 2018
As delivered
Thank you, Mr. President.
Let me begin today by thanking you for your decision just now to pass Security Council resolution 2449 (2018). Cross-border aid provides a critical lifeline for millions of Syrians who cannot be supported through other means. You have done your part; we will now do ours to sustain aid in a way that is as effective and accountable as possible.
Mr. President,
Briefing to the Security Council on the humanitarian situation in Syria
New York, 29 November 2018
As delivered
Mr. President, distinguished Council members,
I provide this update today on behalf of the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mr. Mark Lowcock.
New York, 29 October 2018
As delivered
Mr President,
I concluded my briefing to you last month with a question: would the agreement reached between the Russian Federation and Turkey on Idleb provide only a moment of respite, or would it represent the start of a more stable future for millions of civilians in that part of the country?
New York, 18 September 2018
Mr President,
New York, 27 July 2018
Thank you, Mr. President,
I am pleased to be here alongside the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict today. The appalling suffering this war has wrought on Syria’s children is truly unimaginable. Yet, it is Syria’s children who are the future of the country.
Ensuring that their rights are respected, protected and fulfilled must be at the centre of all of our efforts.
Mr. President,
New York, 27 June 2018
As delivered
Mr. President, distinguished Council members,
Today I will provide you an update on behalf of the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mr. Mark Lowcock.
Mr. President,
New York, 29 May 2018
As delivered
Thank you, Madam President.
Brussels, 25 April 2018
As delivered
Excellencies, Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen, High Representative Federica [Mogherini], Staffan [de Mistura],
Thank you for gathering here today.
We have again had a chance over the last couple of days to hear from a number of Syrians themselves here in Brussels.
What ordinary Syrians want is for people to stop dropping bombs on them, to stop shelling them and to stop shooting at them. For countless Syrian children, these atrocities are the only things they have known in life. That has to stop.
Brussels, 24 April 2018
As delivered
New York, 17 April 2018
As delivered
Mr. President,
Since the passage of resolution 2401, the Secretary-General has on many occasions called for its full implementation.
However, rather than implement the resolution of this Council, we have seen parties to the conflict sustain intense military activity at an enormous human cost.
27 March 2018
As delivered
As delivered
Thank you, Mr. President
We have received a lot of questions about resolution 2401, which you passed on Saturday, and its demand for a cessation of hostilities, without delay, for at least 30 consecutive days throughout Syria.
I want to start today by answering the questions we have received.
I welcome the unity shown today by the members of the Security Council in adopting a resolution demanding a sustained ceasefire of at least 30 days throughout Syria, humanitarian access, and medical evacuations.
But words must now quickly become action – any cessation of hostilities must be real. Attacks must stop.
Thank you Mr. President,
My colleagues and I have given you a lot of updates on the situation in eastern Ghouta over the last three months. I want to start today by bringing you some voices directly from eastern Ghouta.
The Office of the Special Envoy in Geneva has, just in the past three days, received thousands of messages on instant messaging applications from civilians there. They are pleading for our help.
Here is one of them – from a humanitarian worker in the area, a person well versed in international humanitarian law:
Almost seven years into the Syria conflict, I have this week seen first-hand the colossal toll that the brutal and sustained hostilities have taken.
Estimates suggest that hundreds of thousands of people have been killed, countless more are missing or detained, and five million have fled to other countries. Gross Domestic Product is less than half what it was before the war, and replacing destroyed infrastructure and housing will cost hundreds of billions of dollars. Almost 70 per cent of people now live in extreme poverty.
As delivered
Thank you, Mr. President,
Let me begin by welcoming the action you have taken today to adopt Security Council resolution 2393. I note your request to the Secretary-General to conduct an independent review, and for us to work even harder on monitoring, reporting and data gathering. We will of course do all that.
Cross-border deliveries will remain an essential part of our efforts to meet the needs of all those across Syria who require humanitarian assistance.
Mr. President,
As delivered
Mr. President,
Amman, 30 October 2017
As delivered
Madame President,
This is my second briefing to you on the humanitarian situation in Syria. In Amman today I have discussed the position with the Jordanian authorities and the UN humanitarian leadership team based in the region. One conclusion is obvious: the impact of the Syria crisis continues to be profound. My briefing today focuses on the humanitarian issues inside Syria. High Commissioner Grandi will speak to you on the refugee situation on Thursday.
New York, 27 September 2017
As delivered
Thank you, Mr. President.
It is an honour to speak to you this afternoon, for the first time since taking up my role as Emergency Relief Coordinator.
