The situation in the Middle East (Syria) - Security…

Against the backdrop of political stalemate and a worsening security and humanitarian situation, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Syria, briefing the Security Council today, called on all parties to protect civilians and to strive for a complete nationwide ceasefire as the Syrian people inch towards another winter surrounded by armed conflict.

Geir O. Pedersen, introducing the Secretary-General’s latest report on Syria (document S/2022/775), said that recent weeks have witnessed a rash of security threats leading to conflict and violence, including following the deploying of fighters from the Council-listed terrorist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in Afrin; reported pro-Government airstrikes in the north-west; and ongoing violence in the north-east, among other incidents.

He called on all parties to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, to preserve deconfliction channels and de-escalation agreements and build on them towards a full nationwide ceasefire, and to find ways to counter Council-listed terrorist groups in a manner that respects international humanitarian law and Syria’s sovereignty.  “It is unacceptable that hostilities continue to result in civilian casualties, including many children,” he said.

He went on to highlight diplomatic efforts, including during the General Assembly’s high-level week and in several national capitals, aimed at pushing all stakeholders “to engage on step-for-step confidence-building measures” and help advance Council resolution 2254 (2015).  On the Constitutional Committee, he said that he is working to ensure that there is political will to engage in a spirit of compromise when meetings reconvene in Geneva.

Reena Ghelani, Director of the Operations and Advocacy Division in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, painted an alarming picture of the plight of Syrian communities.  At least 92 civilians were killed and 80 were injured in August and September, and security operations in the Al Hol Camp damaged shelters and temporarily restricted people’s access to humanitarian assistance and services.

On a fast-spreading cholera outbreak, she stated that 20,000 suspected cases have been reported in all 14 governorates, with at least 80 people dying so far.  Millions lack reliable access to sufficient and safe water and the health system has been devastated by over a decade of conflict.  To tackle the situation, the three-month cholera response plan, coordinated by the United Nations, requests just over $34.4 million to assist 162,000 people.   However, much more is needed, she said, urging donors to convert their generous pledges into early disbursals of funding.

Such needs are likely to rise even further with the approach of winter, she continued.  The number of people who need winterization assistance has grown by 30 per cent compared to 2021, but the winterization response by humanitarian partners remains grossly underfunded.  If the funding gap is not filled, families will not receive the heating, fuel, blankets and winter clothes that they desperately need to keep warm, she warned.

In the ensuing debate, many Council members expressed concern about the political deadlock and called for the Constitutional Committee to resume its work.  Others expressed alarm about the humanitarian and security situation, stressing the need for a nationwide ceasefire and for all parties to adhere to international humanitarian law.

Ireland’s representative, also speaking on behalf of Norway as the Council’s co-penholders on the Syria humanitarian file, said that all parties must comply with international humanitarian law, including the obligation to take all feasible precautions to avoid harm to civilians and civilian infrastructure.

The United Kingdom’s delegate, deploring a “frankly horrifying” humanitarian situation, stressed the need for a sustained humanitarian response, including through the Council’s renewal of the cross-border mandate in January.  He also emphasized the need to fully implement Council resolution 2254 (2015), in view of the appalling human rights situation, given the tens of thousands of Syrians who have been forcibly disappeared and detained.

China’s representative said the international community must support Syria’s counter-terrorism efforts, adopt uniform standards in jointly fighting all terrorist groups listed by the Council and cut off their sources of weapons, personnel and funds.  He also called on Türkiye, which has carried out four military operations in Syria since 2016, to respect Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and to resolve issues through cooperation and dialogue.

The representative of the United States underlined the need to renew and expand the cross-border aid authorization in January, stating that the Russian Federation’s decision to block a 12-month extension of the cross-border mandate has real consequences on one of the world’s biggest humanitarian operations.  It is essential to give aid workers a “life-saving mandate” that prioritizes humanitarian needs above cruel political calculation, he said.

The Russian Federation’s representative blamed sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, the food crisis and cholera, for a worsening socioeconomic and humanitarian situation in Government-controlled parts of Syria.  He stressed the need to review international humanitarian activities in Syria in order to make an informed decision on the extension of Council resolution 2642 (2019) in January 2023.

Syria’s representative said the Government is taking steps to promote cohesion and unity, including through ensuring wide democratic participation and the promotion of local administration in every city and governorate.  On the political front, he said Syria has made efforts to engage within the Astana Format, most recently in Tehran.  It is also engaging with the Special Envoy, with whom he raised issues of breaches of Syrian sovereignty including by the United States in the north-east, Türkiye in the north-west and Israel in the occupied Golan.  Any illegitimate military presence must cease, he said, also renewing his call for “inhumane and immoral” unilateral coercive measures to be lifted.

Also speaking today were the representatives of the United Arab Emirates, Mexico, Norway, Brazil, France, Albania, India, Gabon (also on behalf of Ghana and Kenya), Iran and Türki̇ye.

The meeting began at 10:04 a.m. and ended at 12:12 p.m.