Syria: Fragile Transition and Humanitarian Crisis Demand Immediate Action | United Nations

Following the raising of Syria’s new three starred flag at United Nations Headquarters, the Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, today (25 Apr) told the Security Council that “the legacy of misrule, conflict, abuses and poverty from which Syria is trying to emerge is one of the heaviest that any state or people anywhere has had to face in modern times”, which means “that the situation is inherently still extremely fragile.” Pedersen said, “it's only four and a half months since the fall of the former regime and the opening of a new chapter in Syria's history,” and saluted the Syrian people, “who amidst continued suffering and many uncertainties and dangers show overwhelmingly that they want this political transition to succeed.” He told Council members that Syria “expanded and more diverse” cabinet “is indeed an improvement from what went before, yet it is still not fully inclusive framework for a political transition.” Pedersen said, “this leaves many Syrians unsure of their place in the new emerging new Syria. He informed the Council that he had met with members of Syria’s Alawite community, “who conveyed their deep concerns and presented harrowing accounts of violence.” During his talks with Syrian President Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa, Pedersen said, this issue was discussed “at length.” The Special Envoy told the Council that “the sense of grievance still exists on both sides. A deep feeling of exclusion from the political process and the public sector, on one side, but also profound grievances towards persons associated with the former regime on the other.” He said the interim authority “needs to ensure that all segments of Syrian society are not only protected but also feel that they will be full participants in political life and state structures, including in terms of security.” For her part, Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Joyce Msuya told the Council that nearly three quarters of the population in Syria are in need and seven million of them are displaced. She said, “we need to sustain momentum for investment in Syria's recovery and development. Without this, this scale of humanitarian needs will far exceed our ability to respond to them. Millions of refugees and internally displaced persons who have expressed their desire to return home will continue to be dissuaded by a lack of basic services in livelihood opportunities, and the hope to seize this critical opportunity to build a more prosperous future risks slipping away.” Since the start of the year, 960 trucks have delivered aid through the cross-border operation from Türkiye – that’s more trucks than during the whole of 2024. Syria’s new Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani – who was present during the raising of the new flag, said, “this day came only after great sacrifices. After a march of blood and tears. Hundreds of thousands have been killed and disappeared. Disappeared without a trace in the prisons of the Assad regime. This day is theirs as it is ours. We will never forget them. And we will continue to work tirelessly to achieve peace and justice for them.” Outside the Council, talking to reporters, Pedersen said, “we need to see more inclusiveness on the side of the government. That's sort of what they need to do. And then the international community needs really to get its act together on sanctions and humanitarian assistance, because as you heard from the new Foreign Minister, he emphasised very clearly that Syrians do not want to be dependent on foreign aid, they want to see it developing their own economy.” The key challenge, he said, are “the American sanctions,” and welcomed contacts between, the new Syrian government and the American administration. Pedersen said, “let's hope that that will lead to some positive developments on this, because, as you rightly said, it's absolutely critical.”


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