Tom Fletcher (OCHA) on the situation in the Middle…

Mr. President,

Thanks to the Deputy Special Envoy for his briefing.

As I briefed you last month, Syria is at a critical, yet promising, moment. We must consolidate

humanitarian gains and invest in recovery.

I will make three points today.

First, progress is real, but fragile. We need your concrete support.

Violence has decreased. Sanctions have eased. Humanitarian access has improved. Returns of

refugees and internally displaced people are increasing.

But funding is falling faster than needs. If recovery is delayed, it will end up costing more lives

and more money.

Humanitarian needs remain enormous. About two-thirds of the population - 15.6 million people -

most of them women, girls and children, will require help this year.

Current funding levels mean we will reach only about half of them. Large-scale returns are a sign

of positive change, but they are also increasing pressure on already limited services, housing,

livelihoods and infrastructure.

Pressure on the humanitarian response continues to rise. More than 390,000 people have crossed

the border from Lebanon since early March – another 90,000 since I last briefed this Council in

April.

More than 80 per cent of arrivals are Syrian, and more than 86,000 have indicated an intention to

stay permanently. Many are in need of some level of support.

At the same time, the prolonged closure of the Straits of Hormuz means that the cost of food and

fuel is rising, with immediate consequences for communities already on the edge.

Diesel has risen around 17%, the cost of electricity by several hundred % in some areas.

Subsidized bread prices remain unchanged – but loaves are 12% smaller.

And flooding continues, notably in the north where 13,000 people have been affected since late

April, along with damage to roads, bridges and farming land and livestock.

Predictable and flexible humanitarian financing is essential to reach more people and make full

use of improved access in many areas.

I thank all those donors who are stepping up to support the hyperprioritised Syrian appeal, led by

the US (with $160m), the EU (63m) and Japan (42m).

However, almost halfway through the year, the humanitarian appeal still sits at barely more than

16 – one-six – per cent funded, with some $480 million received towards a $2.9 billion in

requirements. Almost 90% of that comes from the US, the Europeans, Japan and Canada. Where

is the rest of the world?

Just this week, the impact of funding shortages was stark. The World Food Program has been

forced to reduce its emergency food assistance by 50% – from reaching 1.3 million people to

reaching 650,000 – and also to halt its nationwide bread subsidy program that has supported

millions each day.

In the health system, we see the tension between progress and fragility.

Over the past month, nearly 800,000 children under five received essential vaccinations,

including polio. This is essential to give the next generation the best chance to take part in

Syria's future.

At the same time, serious public health risks persist. Leishmaniasis cases have risen sharply this

year in Aleppo.

Nearly 150 measles cases were reported in the first four months of this year. Hepatitis A cases

have also increased.

These trends reflect limited health services in many areas and ongoing risks from unsafe water

and sanitation.

Yet when we are supported, we deliver: the UN and NGO partners – in cooperation with the

Syrian government – have reached communities across the country, including improving access

to clean water for more than 3 million people, many in camps and displacement shelters, and

more than 2.2 million health interventions.

For the people of Syria, the second tranche allocation announced yesterday from the US means

further funding and support, allowing more partners to save more lives.

This will be on top of current work of the Syria Humanitarian Fund that has allocated $145

million to life-saving interventions for communities most in need.

Mr. President,

My second point: investing in recovery is essential for stabilization.

Over 3.4 million people in Syria - refugees and internally displaced people - returned in 2025,

and the trend continues.

More than 315,000 refugees returned in the first four months of 2026, with returns expected to

rise over the summer, after the school year ends.

Higher returns, greater institutional stability and improved humanitarian access create an

opportunity to move beyond the longstanding emergency response.

This is the potential success story. But this will only be possible if we have the courage to grasp

it, and to and support priority sectors so that the people of Syria - including returnees - can

rebuild their lives with dignity.

As President al-Sharaa stressed in Damascus last month, demining and protection remain

paramount.

Unexploded ordnance remains a major threat. It is a key barrier to safe returns and economic

recovery, and it continues to kill and maim people across Syria.

Since 22 April, explosive ordnance has killed 15 people, including 5 children, and injured 37,

including 14 children.

Farming and raising cattle are especially dangerous. Of the 18 incidents in the last week of April,

12 occurred on farmland.

Of the 1,226 incidents since December 2024, 65 per cent have occurred on agricultural and

grazing land.

The Government of Syria has identified No Mines as a pillar of its forward agenda, and I support

this goal.

We must prioritize clearance of explosive hazards. This will enable safety, food production and

livelihoods, infrastructure rehabilitation, and returns.

Mr. President,

As families return, we must remain focused on strengthening community safety and well-being.

In the first quarter of this year, protection partners reported that gender-based violence remains

widespread.

Nearly 80 per cent of respondents to a nationwide survey said they were aware of gender-based

violence incidents in their communities, most commonly domestic violence.

Psychological abuse and early marriage also remain common. Delays or gaps can have fatal

consequences.

Child protection risks are also acute. One in five respondents across nearly half of assessed

communities reported risks including violence, neglect, child labour, and early and forced

marriage.

Many people in Syria also need civil documentation and support to resolve housing, land and

property issues—major obstacles to sustainable returns and drivers of social tension and

exclusion.

If we are serious about supporting the people of Syria build a new future, we must support safe,

voluntary and dignified returns.

Mr. President,

My third and final point: the Government of Syria's priorities are clear.

The "No Tents and Camps" vision provides a framework for collective action, helping Syria

move from prolonged humanitarian response to sustainable, nationally owned solutions.

We must act together to support this opportunity and provide principled and transparent

humanitarian action.

To this end, the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Syria, Ms. Nathalie Fustier, visited

Aleppo and Idleb last week with representatives of the Government of Syria and UN agencies to

meet communities and partners engaged in progressing the No Camps and No Mines ambitions.

Faced with the scope of the challenges ahead, coordinated action is the only way forward.

The UN stands ready to support the No Tents vision and sustainable solutions for affected

communities.

We are committed to delivering on the Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan, to align efforts,

prioritize assistance, and support communities on their path from crisis to recovery.

International engagement and concrete action are essential to restore hope for millions of people

displaced across Syria.

Mr. President,

Globally, the humanitarian community faces an increasingly daunting set of challenges.

But we have a plan - prioritised, collective, efficient - to reach 87m people with lifesaving

support this year. And it is working - we have reached 14.4m already, and our courageous

colleagues are out there now reaching more, one life at a time.

We are making all our tracking of funding and outcomes publicly available - radical transparency

to hold our teams, our donors and our partners to account for results.

We are determined that Syria becomes an example of the best measure of humanitarian effort

working - that it is no longer needed. Syria can continue to defy the odds, the history, the

challenges, and many people's expectations.

And the Syrian government has a plan - no mines, creating the conditions for people to go home

with confidence and dignity, building long term resilience - that deserves your strong support.

If the international community makes the right choices, the Syrian people can hope for enduring

security, justice and opportunity.

But it we fail to fund the completion the humanitarian mission and an effective transition to

recovery and stability, today's gaps risk becoming tomorrow's irreversible crises.

My three asks. Back the mission: fund the prioritised plan to remove remaining humanitarian

needs. Back the transition by rebuilding infrastructure, economic opportunity, and hope. Stay the

course.

Thank you.