Pace of Syrian developments recently has been dramatic: UN relief chief

HAMILTON, Canada

The UN relief chief, Tom Fletcher, on Tuesday highlighted the "dramatic" pace of developments in Syria following the fall of the Bashar Assad regime.

"The pace of developments in Syria over the past three weeks has been dramatic," Fletcher told a Security Council session on Syria, as he emphasized the humanitarian crisis.

Fletcher said that more than 1 million people have been displaced in less than two weeks and hundreds of civilians, including at least 80 children, killed or injured.

Reflecting on the devastating effect of 13 years of war, he said: "Health services and water supplies, already corroded by years of conflict and declining funding, were interrupted."

Despite the challenges, Fletcher noted signs of stabilization from his visit to Syria. "As I have seen, markets, roads, and health facilities are reopening. Children have gone back to school. Aid operations are gradually resuming across most of our hubs, including Aleppo, Homs, and here in Damascus," he said.

"It is critical that we adapt the humanitarian response to the new, if still rapidly shifting, conditions," he said, emphasizing collaboration with cross-border actors in northeast Syria to align efforts and ensure aid worker safety.

He also announced plans to visit Aleppo and Idlib to strengthen coordination between UN agencies, NGOs and local actors.

Saying that he secured commitments from Syrian authorities to facilitate access to aid, issue visas for humanitarian workers,\ and protect the neutrality of relief operations, Fletcher said: "These commitments alone will not relieve people’s suffering, but they are an essential basis for us to scale up operations."

"Following my visit, we will also swiftly issue an overview of critical funding needs for the next three months," he said.

Highlighting the funding gap, he said that "since 2016, more than $38 billion has gone to the UN-coordinated appeals for Syria and for the regional refugee response. But this year’s humanitarian appeal -- the largest country appeal in the world -- is also one of the most poorly supported," and he called for urgent financial support.

Fletcher further emphasized the need for continued international cooperation, with an emphasis on securing humanitarian access, protecting civilians and clearing landmines in conflict-affected areas.

"This year represents an historic opportunity to support the people of Syria and their hope for a more peaceful future," said Fletcher.

Urging the global community to act decisively to prevent further suffering, he said: "Progress will be inconsistent, and the risks of failure great. But this should be a galvanizing project for the UN, and for the humanitarian movement. Now is the moment to support the people of Syria."