Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mr. Martin Griffiths - Briefing to the Security Council on the humanitarian situation in Syria, 14 September 2022

New York, 14 September 2022

Merci M. le President.

Thank you very much indeed,

Since my Deputy, the Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, Joyce Msuya, briefed you two weeks ago, hostilities in Syria have continued.

During this period, airstrikes and shelling along frontlines have caused civilian death, injury, and interrupted livelihoods. Particularly devastating, I may draw your attention on 12 September: three children were reportedly killed and four people injured when an IED, attached to a motorcycle, detonated close to a medical facility in a camp near Al-Hasakeh City. One more tragic story in a ten-year war.

I am particularly concerned also over news of a cholera outbreak in northern Syria. The UN and partners are supporting relevant authorities to respond to the cases. And this outbreak, the cholera outbreak, is a stark reminder of how critical our continued support remains to the people of Syria, given that the health system is devastated by these ten years of conflict. This outbreak is also an indicator of severe shortages of water throughout Syria resulting from the low water levels in the Euphrates – we have frequently discussed in this Council – drought-like conditions and the extent of destruction of water infrastructures.

In the north-east, amid the cholera outbreak, critical water shortages are reported in Al Hasakeh Governorate as water remains inaccessible for the population through Alouk, the water station we also discussed, since 11 August is shutdown. In this context, access to safe water is more important than ever. And of course, I call on all relevant parties to facilitate reliable access to safe water. Otherwise, we’ll see more of those cases of cholera, we will see more damage to the health system, we will see more problems arising out of the absence of reliable electricity.

Monsieur le President,

Today, I will cover three important issues: early recovery efforts; funding; and humanitarian access.

I regularly brief this Council as you know on our work to strengthen the resilience of affected communities. The focus on this issue responds to the realities of a changing context and allows us to focus our collective efforts on driving down the need for humanitarian assistance in Syria. And Najat has referred to the economic basis which is cause of many of our humanitarian problems.

Resilience and early recovery are a major priority as I think I have said quite often in this Council. With the support of donors, and in line with the global humanitarian approach to early recovery, over four million Syrians have benefitted from projects that contribute to early recovery and resilience already this year. We also continue to contribute to the provision of electricity which is essential as I have mentioned to run basic services. And the bi-monthly report of the Secretary-General provides many examples.

For our program to succeed in improving people’s access to livelihood opportunities and basic services, we need the continuing commitment and support from donors and their continuing generosity and their focus, as is the case of so many, including my neighbor, on early recovery opportunities.

Mr. President, this brings me to my second point, which is focused on funding.

The Humanitarian Response Plan for Syria, the annual plan for humanitarian assistance for Syria, is among the largest appeals in the world. In 2022, $4.4 billion is needed. It is a lot of money. In addition, the Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan, which caters for refugee needs in the region outside Syria, amounts to $6.1 billion for this year, bringing the total up to $10.5 billion. Quite high amount of money. But the amount reflects the severity of humanitarian needs in Syria and in the region following this decade of crisis.

At the sixth Brussels Conference in May 2022, where many of us went, including the Permanent Representative of the United States, donors pledged $4.3 billion for Syria and the region. To date, only a quarter of the Humanitarian Response Plan is funded. This is very low, even in a difficult year globally, compared to other major crises, and the Regional Plan that I referred to, the $6.1 billion, only has twenty percent funding. So, about a quarter for us, and less than that for the regional plan. Engagement with regional donors, the donors in the region, indicates that we may not even reach half of the funding requirements for the Humanitarian Response Plan by the end of this year. That obviously has a direct impact on the plight of many Syrians.

14.6 million people in Syria, more than half of them children, need humanitarian assistance. This is the highest levels of need since the crisis began. And as I think I have said on previous occasions, we seem to fail the people in Syria more each year. As each year comes and each year passes, the needs grow, the gap increases and the stress and the suffering of the Syrian people from this crisis continues to be exacerbated.

I want to thank donors who have come through quickly on their pledges, and urge those, perhaps slightly slower to please put the money in the bank.

Funding for early recovery and resilience programming and livelihood programming also, I hope, will be increased. The consequences of this, we see it in Yemen and elsewhere, is that rations will be drastically reduced if we don’t get funding. It is as I said just now a straight line.

Then, Mr. President, on humanitarian access.

Airstrikes, since the last briefing, disrupted operations of the UN Humanitarian Air Service, UNHAS, at Aleppo airport. UNHAS is a critical service for the humanitarian operation. It is the basis upon which staff deploy, staff move and occasionally also supplies.

Our ability to provide humanitarian assistance in Al Hol camp was limited during this period of reporting, particularly by the search operation carried out from 25 August. Only life-saving assistance such as bread and water distributions were and are currently allowed. Ensuring continuity in the provision of aid and basic services and protection during those kinds of operations is of critical importance. It is not being the case. We would like to see all humanitarian activities resume as soon as possible.

The UN continues to do its utmost to expand the cross-line operations in all parts of Syria.

In the north-west, we have finalized a revised cross-line plan to incrementally ensure access to people in need of assistance. For this to happen, we need to carry out many unimpeded cross-line convoys, with an increased number of trucks in each convoy. This is common sense. The next cross-line convoy to the north-west is scheduled to take place in the coming days, with 16 trucks in that convoy and we expect more to follow. And we want more to follow, and we need more to follow, and you can be sure, Mr. President, the United Nations and its partners will make every effort to ensure that cross-line operations to the north-west and the north-east are pursued with vigor.

And they are necessary and, if successful, will complement the cross-border operation which is of course of a different other scale.

In the north-east, we and our partners continue to assist on average 900,000 people every month through cross-line operations. We will continue to pursue that illusive cross-line mission to Ras al-Ayn, as soon as security conditions allow.

I want to conclude, Mr. President, with an anecdote that has been brought to my attention.

A story of Rasha, a mother of four – and this also echoes the point made by Najat –, a mother of four, a community leader in Idleb. She lives in a displacement camp with 1,200 other families, many of whom have special needs, disabilities and war injuries. Rasha herself had her spine badly damaged in 2019 when she was nearly buried alive under rubble during a bombing, together with her husband and children, until local responders, the White Helmets and others, pulled them out. She is now permanently in a wheelchair.

And yet despite that, and with financial support from donors and sponsors, she was instrumental in setting up a kindergarten and a physical therapy center in the camp where she lives. This center provides services to about 20 surrounding camps. Just imagine if you will, the energy and determination of this mother, crippled by the war, still providing a daily service to twenty camps around and near the one where she continues to live with her family. And she sees about 50 patients every day. This is the kind of light that we need to remember is pursued by the people in Syria. The center now needs additional support and we will all see what we can do to make that happen. And in that context, we asked her whether she remains optimistic – and this is the echo to Najat’s point – she said “nothing is impossible when there is will and action”. Will and action, I would add, which she shows on a daily basis.

Will and action, Mr. President, which naturally we need to see also from the Members of this Council.

Thank you.