Joint Statement by UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for Syria, Adam Abdelmoula, and Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis, Muhannad Hadi, on the 13 years’ Anniversary of the Syria Crisis [EN/AR]

Damascus and Amman, 15 March 2024

Thirteen years of the crisis in Syria have taken an unimaginable toll on the people of the country.

The crisis continues to wreak havoc on Syria, further exacerbating the humanitarian situation with every passing year and undermining the country’s chances of progress. The level of needs has never been higher. Last year’s destructive earthquakes created a “crisis within a crisis” impacting millions of already vulnerable people. Today, we estimate that 16.7 million people require humanitarian assistance.

With needs at their highest, the humanitarian community is struggling to reach the most vulnerable communities due to diminishing funding and the damaging effects of the UNRWA funding crisis. The month of Ramadan – a time for reflection and celebration – is instead, for many people in Syria, a month of struggle to find food and make ends meet.

Syria is also facing some of the worst conflict related violence in years – leading to civilian casualties, displacement and destruction across the country. In addition, the escalation in Gaza has already had an impact on Syria – multiple attacks in several parts of the country in the past months have claimed lives and damaged civilian facilities.

Despite the efforts of the international community to respond to people’s growing needs, the situation has grown increasingly dire. Today, a record number of people go to bed hungry every night, the healthcare system is unable to adequately meet people’s needs, basic services are unavailable, and millions of children remain out of school.

Humanitarian actors must be enabled to scale up interventions to address the current reality in Syria to prevent further decline. This means sufficient, predictable, multi-year funding that can match the extent of needs on the ground. Inaction will not only worsen the ongoing crisis, but it will also have a ripple effect on the region and the world as more people are pushed further into poverty and forced to leave the country for economic opportunities.

We cannot continue on the path of decline. But humanitarian assistance alone is not the answer. There must be a meaningful and sustainable political solution to ensure Syria can once again find peace and so that its people can finally forge a path to success.

For further information:
Olga Cherevko, Spokesperson, OCHA Syria, Damascus, cherevko@un.org