The situation in the Middle East - Security Council…

Worsening conditions in Syria need urgent concerted efforts from all parties to resume Syrian-led political process, special envoy tells Security Council
The worsening security, economic and humanitarian situation in Syria requires urgent concerted efforts from all parties to the conflict to resume a Syrian-led political process, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the country stressed, as the Security Council today took up that file once again this month.
Geir O. Pedersen, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria, warned that the Syrian people both inside and outside Syria continue to suffer acutely from the conflict in all its dimensions. The economic situation has gotten worse, with the Syrian pound losing over 80 per cent in three months of its value, and prices from essential goods spiralling out of control. While minimum State salaries have been doubled to roughly $13 per month, a monthly food basket in June cost at least $81, according to the World Food Programme (WFP).
“Syria cannot fix its economy while it is in a state of conflict,” he stressed. He welcomed the understanding reached on the continued use for the next six months of the Bab al-Hawa border crossing to deliver life-saving humanitarian assistance to millions of people in need in north-west Syria. Nonetheless, this year’s Humanitarian Response Plan is funded at 25 per cent, he reported, underscoring that any adverse effects of sanctions that could aggravate the predicament must be avoided.