Most violent year in Syria since 2020, senior UN official tells Security Council
“Many millions of Syrians are still abroad or struggling to survive in a crisis complex landscape of de facto authorities, foreign militaries, armed non-state actors and listed terrorist groups,” Najat Rochdi emphasized, adding that 100,000 people were arbitrarily detained or disappeared.
Israeli air strikes on Syria have also increased significantly, both in frequency and scope. Just yesterday, dozens of people were killed in an attack near Palmyra – possibly Israel’s deadliest attack in Syria to date.
While Israel said its attacks were against targets linked to Iran, Hezbollah or Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Ms. Rochdi pointed out that the attacks were carried out against residential areas in central Damascus, where civilian infrastructure was also attacked.
More than half a million people fled Lebanon
More than half a million people have fled Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon and crossed into Syria since late September, and the flow has remained steady, with thousands being pushed across the border into Syria every day. head of the United Nations Humanitarian Agency (OCHA) said in her address.
An estimated two-thirds are Syrians, more than half are children and more than 7,000 are pregnant women, Edem Wosornu added.
Due to damage from airstrikes, people have had to walk to navigate intersections or seek longer and riskier alternative routes.
It also caused severe disruption to essential imports and exports, which have now fallen by 40 to 50 percent, Ms. Rochdi emphasized, noting that this caused the price of gasoline and basic goods to increase “ leaving the most vulnerable in a precarious state”.
“Female The safety and security of all people arriving from Lebanon must be guaranteed, both at the border and afterward as they moved across Syria – by all government and de facto government,” she emphasized.
70% of Syrians are in need of help
Ms. Wosornu said that before the most recent wave of half a million people from Lebanon, more than 70% of Syrians – about 16.7 million people – were in need of humanitarian assistance.
The impact on food security is particularly alarming, with nearly 13 million people facing severe food insecurity in Syria – the fifth highest globally – while the World Food Program of the United Nations (WFP) has been forced to reduce its support by 80% over the past two years due to funding cuts, Ms. Wosornu added.
The situation is also particularly dire for displaced people in camps and informal locations.
For example, in northwestern Syria, approximately 1.4 million internally displaced people, mainly women and children, need urgent assistance. Ms. Wosornu reported that about 730,000 of these people are still living in tents.
“Without additional funding, rates of respiratory infections and hospitalizations are likely to rise, especially in young children.She said, highlighting new outbreaks of suspected cholera in camps where people are living in “crowded detention-like conditions”.
Need to de-escalate
“After nearly 14 years of war and conflict, there is no technocratic solution that can quickly resolve these deeply political challenges,” Ms. Rochdi stated.
Resolving these issues requires a consistent national ceasefire Security Council Resolution 2254Emphasis is placed on the protection of civilians and unimpeded humanitarian access, she told the Council.
“If all parties show signs of willingness to act constructively, responsibly and realistically, then we have the best chance of exploiting new and existing dynamics into opportunities,” she emphasized. progress”.
“This is a time of profound instability and danger in the region; This is also the time to chart a path that will allow the Syrian people to realize their legitimate aspirations, to restore the sovereignty, unity, independence and territorial integrity of Syria and protect international peace and security”, Ms. Rochdi concluded.
