Note: A complete summary of today’s Security Council meeting on Syria will be made available after its conclusion.
Briefings
NAJAT ROCHDI, Deputy Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria, described recent air strikes in the north-west, including a strike on a market in that area that reportedly killed and wounded civilians, along with strikes by the Russian Federation in the Idlib de-escalation zone, and drone strikes from areas controlled by listed terrorist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, into Government-controlled areas. She also noted other concerning incidents, including reports of Turkish drone and artillery strikes on Syrian Democratic Forces and Syrian Government positions and civilian infrastructure; Syrian Democratic Forces shelling of Turkish positions; Israeli air strikes; and ongoing attacks by listed terrorist groups. In recent days, Geir O. Pedersen, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria called for restored and sustained calm with key actors in the Ceasefire Task Force.
As was stressed to the Humanitarian Task Force this week in Geneva, she said that the needs of Syrians must be prioritized and humanitarian action depoliticized, adding: “This means resources.” She welcomed the pledges made in the Brussels Conference and looked forward to swift disbursements. Calling for access via all modalities, including cross-line and cross-border, she spotlighted, ahead of the expiration of the Council’s cross-border resolution, the need for a 12-month extension. She underscored the need for sanctioning States to, in response to the earthquakes, step up efforts to counter overcompliance, noting that more children than in the past crossed combat lines to take exams over the past month, and adding that was “a welcome development which signals that all sides have it within themselves to depoliticize access to aid and services”.
Regarding the detained, disappeared and missing, she said that many look to today’s General Assembly vote with hope that a new entity dedicated to that issue could bring some measure of relief to families across Syria and outside of it. However, thousands of Syrians remained subject to arbitrary detention every day, she said, adding that these concerns had been aired by her colleagues in the latest meeting of the Astana Working Group. Millions of displaced Syrians, in the country and abroad, have seen no concrete shift in conditions for them to return voluntarily and in safety and in dignity. Recalling that many Syrians were among those drowned in the sinking of an overcrowded boat in the Mediterranean Sea, she said: This was “a tragic reminder to all of us of what hopelessness can bring”.
Giving an overview of Mr. Pedersen’s recent engagements with parties, including the Syrian Negotiations Commission in Geneva; senior American, British and European officials in Paris; and the foreign ministers of Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon and Egypt, to name a few, she highlighted his travels to Moscow to meet the Foreign Minister, as well as his attendance of high-level meetings in Astana, to meet with Deputy Foreign Ministers of Iran, Russian Federation, Türkiye and the delegations of the Syrian Government and Syrian opposition. Such engagements made clear that “moving from intention to action requires genuine engagement, flexibility and commitments from more than just one group of actors. Even modest steps to forge progress on the political track requires action from many different sides – each of whom has easy means to spoil if excluded. Syrians’ voices must be amplified in diplomatic efforts, including the Civil Society Support Room and the Women’s Advisory Board. While “diplomatic moves have yet to produce concrete results”, she emphasized that the opportunity is still there, and voiced hope that, in the coming weeks, the efforts of the Special Envoy can help build confidence towards the resumption of the intra-Syrian political process and implement Security Council resolution 2254 (2015).
MARTIN GRIFFITHS, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, reported that he had just returned yesterday from Damascus with a greater sense of the profound humanitarian challenges facing Syria. “The people of Syria are suffering more than we can truly appreciate,” he said. Twelve years of conflict, economic collapse and other factors have pushed 90 per cent of the population below the poverty line. This year’s Humanitarian Response Plan, the largest in the world at $5.4 billion, is less than 12 per cent funded. A deficit will force the World Food Programme (WFP) to slash its emergency food aid in Syria in July by 40 per cent. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) only has funds for 18 per cent of its annual budget, the lowest since the crisis began in 2011. With donor support lagging behind soaring needs and operational costs, such pledges must swiftly turn into contributions to keep programmes running.
Any move towards a more sustainable response will require a fresh approach, one with longer timelines and fewer donor red lines, he continued. Young people can receive vocational training, but must also be mentored to turn these capacities into new incomes and livelihoods. Further, distinctions between a “rehabilitated school” and a “reconstructed school” can be relaxed to provide students with safe places to learn, he said, underscoring that stronger international consensus is needed on the importance of early recovery programmes. As well, irrigation systems can be constructed for communities of farmers without qualifying as development, he said, adding: “I look forward to returning in the coming weeks with ideas on how to forge such a consensus in partnership with the region.” Turning to violence in the country, he said there has been a marked increase in fighting in the north-west, particularly in Lattakia and Idlib. “It is with great sadness that we learn of the deaths of at least 11 people, including 9 individuals who lost their lives in a bombing near a market outside Jisr al-Shughour,” he said.
Warning that the Council’s cross-border resolution will expire in 11 days, on 10 July, he stressed the need to reauthorize the operation for an additional 12 months. “A 12-month authorization reflects a pragmatic outlook on the current operation,” he stressed. The United Nations and its partners reach, on a monthly basis, some 2.7 million of the most vulnerable men, women and children with essential and life-saving assistance. The vast majority of this assistance comes through the Security Council-authorized Bab al-Hawa border crossing, including a recent 10-truck convoy from Aleppo safely reaching Idlib, with assistance for some 22,000 people. This is an important result, but it is also a reminder that, at the moment, cross-line modalities cannot match the volume of desperately needed aid that comes cross border. More time, support and negotiations will be needed to enable cross-line assistance to comprise a larger portion of the total humanitarian response in north-west Syria. A 12-month authorization will ensure aid flows throughout the desperate winter season. It will also be a critical step in the demonstrable efforts to improve the humanitarian situation across Syria, he said.
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