Lives are at risk, and “the cost of inaction is simply too high”, Dr. Hanan Balkhy, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, said in a statement on Saturday after concluding a five-day visit to Syria. She expressed grave concern over the complexities and challenges facing the population and humanitarian operations on the ground. “The…
Briefing ambassadors on the Security Council, Geir Pedersen called for a regional de-escalation, starting with an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. In addition to the regional spillover effects, he expressed deep concern over the ongoing conflict within Syria itself. “There are in fact no signs of calm in any of Syria’s theaters – only unresolved conflicts,…
UNRWA on Tuesday launched a $414.4 million appeal for Palestine refugees in Syria and those who have fled the country for neighbouring Lebanon and Jordan due to the conflict. Continue the support The funding will be used to keep cash and in-kind food assistance running, along with healthcare, education, and technical and vocational training. “We…
Briefing ambassadors a day after the attack, Assistant-Secretary-General Khaled Khiari stressed the need for restraint. “We appeal to the Council today, as we do every month, to continue to actively engage all concerned parties to prevent further escalation and the worsening of tensions that undermine regional peace and security,” he said. Respect diplomatic premises UN…
This was a reminder of the ongoing impact of a conflict which has now dragged on for more than 12 years and rarely makes headlines, even though it continues to have a devastating effect on the civilian population. In early March, the United Nations Syria Commission of Inquiry released a report which detailed an escalation…
Briefing ambassadors at the UN Security Council, Geir Pedersen said that recent spike in violence, including airstrikes, rocket attacks and clashes between armed groups, underscored the urgent need for a political resolution. In addition, protests continue in some regions over unaddressed grievances and the presence of six foreign armies in the country are raising fears…
“I am appalled by the recurrent mass abductions of men, women and children in northern Nigeria. Children have been abducted from schools and women taken while searching for firewood. Such horrors must not become normalised,” he said. News reports indicate at least 564 people have been abducted since 7 March. More than 280 pupils were…
The UN Syria Commission of Inquiry, which reports to the Human Rights Council, warned that fighting escalated on 5 October last year, when consecutive explosions at a military academy graduation ceremony in government-controlled Homs killed at least 63 people, including 37 civilians. The Syrian Government and Russian forces “responded with bombardments” that struck at least…
March marks the thirteenth anniversary of the conflict in Syria, with systematic atrocities and untold suffering of civilians. According to UN estimates, 16.7 million people, equivalent to 70 per cent of the total population, will require humanitarian assistance in 2024. Roughly half the pre-war population remains displaced inside or outside Syria. Compounding the crisis, a…
Nearly 8,600 people on the move died in 2023, a 20 per cent increase from 2022, according to the UN agency’s Missing Migrants Project online platform. It details the global movement of people risking their lives to escape conflict, economic crisis and natural disasters, including drought and flooding linked to climate change. IOM says the…
