Published December 21,2023
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The UN’s particular envoy for Syria on Thursday voiced concern over the tragic state of affairs in war-torn Syria.
“2023 has been another very difficult year. A year that saw devastating earthquakes, humanitarian needs reaching new highs, the economy plummeting to new lows, and the worst violence in three years,” Geir Pedersen advised the UN Security Council.
The 12 months noticed new diplomatic openings, Pedersen mentioned, however added they didn’t result in “tangible changes” on the bottom for the lives of Syrians.
“In quick: this has been one other tragic 12 months for Syrian civilians, who had been killed, injured, displaced, detained and kidnapped in alarming numbers, and who noticed no tangible strikes in the direction of a greater future.
“Instead, on top of everything else, Syrians now face the danger of regional spillover adding further fuel to the fire,” he mentioned.
He careworn a “re-intensification of spillover effects” from the developments within the Gaza Strip between Israel and Hamas over the past weeks.
“We have seen multiple airstrikes attributed to Israel across Syria. The Syrian government reported that Israeli airstrikes rendered Damascus and Aleppo airports non-operational,” he mentioned, including at present, solely Latakia Airport is useful, affecting each civilian air site visitors and the UN humanitarian operations.
“Multiple reports of missiles launched from southern Syria over the Occupied Syrian Golan towards Israel, and of IDF fire, and near-daily attacks on US positions in northeast Syria,” he added.
Underlining that violence in all theatres of Syria continues, Pedersen mentioned there may be an “urgent need” for max restraint by all actors, Syrian and non-Syrian. “No one should delude themselves that this worrying new-normal of ongoing escalation is in any way sustainable,” he added.
Pedersen careworn that the battle can’t be left unattended, and referred to as on all to respect the Syrian-led, Syrian-owned, UN-facilitated nature of the Constitutional Committee.
“I appeal for all to act in a manner that enables the Constitutional Committee to resume, at least initially in Geneva,” he added.
“This is the way to stem the tide of violence and fast deteriorating socioeconomic/humanitarian situation and move towards a negotiated political settlement that could enable the Syrians to realize their legitimate aspirations and restore Syria’s sovereignty, unity, independence and territorial integrity in line with Security Council resolution 2254,” Pedersen mentioned.
– ‘Situation is unsustainable, intolerable’
Also addressing the Council, Lisa Doughten, OCHA Director for the Humanitarian Financing and Resource Mobilization Division, mentioned the state of affairs in Syria is “unsustainable and insupportable.”
Doughten added pressing progress should be made in the direction of peace if the folks of Syria are to have any hope for a greater future.
“Let 2024 be the 12 months during which real progress is made. In the meantime, we should all redouble our efforts to maintain the folks of Syria, and their hopes, alive.
“Our ask has been consistent. We need civilians and civilian infrastructure to be protected. We need sustained humanitarian access throughout the country, through all modalities,” she added.
The director additionally careworn the necessity for “urgent and adequate” funding to maintain the life-saving humanitarian response.
Syria has been embroiled in a vicious civil conflict since early 2011 when the Bashar al-Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests with sudden ferocity.
Hundreds of hundreds of individuals have been killed and greater than 10 million others displaced, in accordance with UN estimates.
Source: www.anews.com.tr