ISTANBUL

A senior UN humanitarian official warned on Sunday that hundreds of thousands of Syrians remain separated from their families more than a decade into the conflict.

Tareq Talahma, acting director for operations and advocacy at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), spoke during a panel titled “Syria’s Expectations for the Future: Managing the Post-Conflict Process” at the 23rd Doha Forum in Qatar’s capital.

Talahma said the former Syrian leader operated on the belief that providing food would allow him to deny Syrians their political and civil rights, noting that people ultimately took to the streets demanding dignity and freedom.

He underlined that inclusivity must remain a key priority for Syria’s next phase.

Noting the human cost of the war, he said that Syrians have paid a heavy price and that hundreds of thousands still remain separated from their families as they continue striving to achieve their goals.

Talahma also criticized parts of the international community for taking a top-down, dismissive approach to the Syrian crisis, suggesting some actors attempt to dictate how the issue should be handled. He added that international involvement in Syria has risen and fallen repeatedly over the past 14 years.

He also said that around 3 million refugees and internally displaced people have returned to Syria in recent years.