On
12 February 2020, families shelter at a recently established informal
settlement which continues to receive newly displaced families from
southern Idlib and rural Aleppo governorates in northwest Syria.
With progress stalled on both the peace and political fronts in Syria, UN Special Envoy Geir Pedersen urged ambassadors in the Security Council on Wednesday to “put their weight” into finding a solution to end nearly nine years of conflict.
His
appeal was made against the backdrop of the rapidly deteriorating
humanitarian situation in the northwest, where an ongoing military
offensive has uprooted nearly 900,000 people since December.
With families fleeing bombardment in freezing temperatures, the UN Secretary-General on Tuesday called for an immediate ceasefire, which Mr. Pedersen echoed in his briefing to the Council.
Stressing that hostilities are now approaching densely populated
areas, such as Idlib city and Bab al-Hawa border crossing, which has
among the highest concentration of displaced civilians in north-west
Syria and also serves as a humanitarian lifeline, Mr. Pedersen warned
of the ‘devastating scale of humanitarian suffering’.
“I appeal once again for full respect for international humanitarian
law and for an immediate ceasefire in Idlib, ultimately towards a
nationwide ceasefire. I urge key international players to continue and
intensify their contacts to restore calm,” the UN envoy said.
“I urge all members of this Council to put their weight firmly behind
the search for a political way forward. As the Secretary-General
reminded us yesterday, only in this way can we truly serve the interests
of the Syrian people.”
The Idlib region is the last rebel-held stronghold in Syria, and the
Government, supported by allies, is fighting to reclaim it.
“Turkey and Russia, as sponsors of the Idlib de-escalation
arrangements, can and must play a key role in finding a way to
de-escalate the situation now,” said Mr. Pedersen.
“Russian and Turkish delegations have met intensively in recent
days…and there have been presidential contacts, too. But no
understanding has yet emerged. To the contrary, public statements from
different quarters, Syrian and international, suggest an imminent danger
of further escalation.”
Nowhere is safe
UN Humanitarian Coordinator Mark Lowcock told
the Council that at least 100 civilians have been killed so far this
month in air and ground strikes in the north-west, 35 of them children.
He reported that although people are trying to find shelter in increasingly crowded areas, nowhere is safe.
“Almost 50,000 people are sheltering under trees or in other open spaces,” he said.
“I am getting daily reports of babies and other young children dying
in the cold. Imagine the grief of a parent who escaped a warzone with
their child, only to watch that child freeze to death.”
Earlier this month, humanitarians had appealed for an additional $336
million to support some 800,000 people through cross-border operations
from Turkey. However, Mr. Lowcock anticipated that they will be
requesting $500 million, as the aid effort is now “overwhelmed” by the
rising needs.
OCHA/David Swanson
In
this file photo, UN Humanitarian Coordinator, Mark Lowcock (r) meets
with a group of Syrian drivers on the Turkish side of the two countries'
common border.
“We are considering all options to increase support into the
north-west. We are working with the Government of Turkey to expand the
opening of the Bab al-Hawa border crossing to seven days a week, in
order to increase the number of aid trucks coming in. We are asking the
Government of Syria for permission for a mission from Damascus to areas
they have recently taken control of in order to see who is there and
assess their needs”.
In addition to the crisis in the north-west, Mr. Pedersen pointed to
other “worrying developments” elsewhere in Syria, including renewed
hostilities in northern rural Aleppo and “unresolved tensions” in the
north-east.
“ISIL resurgence is very worrying, with frequent attacks registered
in the north-east, the desert region around Homs and other areas,” he
added.
“Last week, a Syrian military statement reported that Syrian
Government air defenses responded to ‘enemy missiles’ coming from the
occupied Syrian Golan.”
He said these developments are a reminder that Syria’s sovereignty,
territorial integrity and independence continue to be “seriously
compromised” by the conflict.
Constitutional Committee engagement continues
The envoy underlined the UN’s position that the Syrian conflict
cannot be resolved through military means, and that a political process
is necessary to move towards a solution.
However, he reported that progress on the Constitutional Committee launched last year also remains stalled.
The Committee is made up of equal numbers of representatives from the
Government, opposition and civil society who will devise a new
political road map for post-war Syria.
Members first met in Geneva in October but could not agree an agenda for their second meeting weeks later.
Mr. Pedersen expressed hope that a third session will soon be
convened. In the interim, he continues to engage with the parties.
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Alarmed by the rapid deterioration of the
humanitarian situation in north-west Syria and the tragic suffering of
civilians, UN Secretary-General António Guterres
on Tuesday called for an immediate ceasefire in the ongoing fight that
has displaced more than 900.000 civilians since early December.
“We are considering all options to increase support into the
north-west. We are working with the Government of Turkey to expand the
opening of the Bab al-Hawa border crossing to seven days a week, in
order to increase the number of aid trucks coming in. We are asking the
Government of Syria for permission for a mission from Damascus to areas
they have recently taken control of in order to see who is there and
assess their needs”.
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