Syria: Hostilities continue - Humanitarian Chief: Security Council Briefing (14 September 2022)

Briefing the Security Council on the humanitarian situation in Syria, Martin Griffiths, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, said that since the last briefing by the Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, Joyce Msuya, two weeks ago, hostilities have continued. “Airstrikes and shelling along frontlines have caused civilian death, injury, and interrupted livelihoods,” he said. “Particularly devastating,” he continued, on 12 September, three children were reportedly killed and four people injured when an improvised explosive device attached to a motorcycle detonated close to a medical facility in Tweineh camp near Al-Hasakeh City. He also said that the UN and partners are supporting relevant authorities in responding to the cholera outbreak cases in northern Syria. According to Griffiths, this outbreak is a stark reminder of just how critical the continued humanitarian support remains to the people of Syria - particularly given that the health system is already devastated by years of conflict – and an indicator of severe shortages of water throughout Syria resulting from the low water levels in the Euphrates, drought-like conditions and the extent of destruction of the water infrastructures. On funding, Griffiths noted that the Humanitarian Response Plan for Syria is among the largest appeals in the world in 2022 - $4.4 billion is needed. In addition, the Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan seeks some $6.1 billion to respond to refugee needs, bringing the total needed up to $10.5 billion. Only around a quarter of the Humanitarian Response Plan is funded, and engagement with regional donors indicates that half of the funding requirements may not be reached by the end of this year. He said, “14.6 million people in Syria, more than half of them children, need humanitarian assistance – this is the highest level of need since the crisis began.” Griffiths emphasized, “we seem to fail the people of Syria more each year.” Also talking at the Security Council, Bassam Sabbagh, Syrian Permanent Representative to the United Nations, said, “Restoring security and stability in Syria will continue to hinge on Western states stopping the hostile policies and interference in Syrian internal affairs, ending the immoral economic embargo, ending the support of terrorism, and irrevocably and unconditionally declaring the end of the FTFs and their affiliates and the final exit of occupying foreign troops from Syria.” Credit UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe


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