Middle East: Regional crisis risks engulfing Syria, UN envoy warns

Briefing ambassadors in the Security Council, Geir Pedersen expressed grave concern over the mounting violence and its cascading impact on Syria, which has been embroiled in civil conflict – later drawing in outside forces – since 2011.  

He highlighted an attack earlier in the day on a vehicle at Damascus International Airport, warning of the imminent risk of a wider regional war.

“There is a clear and present danger of a wider regional war that drags the Syrian people into its crosshairs…the utmost need of the hour is for de-escalation, now, across the region – including a ceasefire in Gaza,” he said.

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Divided by active frontlines

Mr. Pedersen described the dire situation within Syria, with hostilities involving pro-Government groups and terrorist groups Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in Syria (ISIL-Syria), including use of heavy weapons, drones and snipers.

“Let us remember, that Syria remains in a profound state of high conflict and territorial division. There are millions of Syrians living under Government control, but many millions still living outside Government control or abroad,” he said.

He emphasized that there are “four or more areas divided by active frontlines” comprising six foreign armies engaged in active conflict – some at the invitation of the Government, and a multitude of Syrian armed actors and Security Council-listed terrorist groups.

And there is also a regional crisis, which is in “perpetual danger of crashing over Syria”.

Social trust in short supply

He further warned that in addition to military and territorial divisions, Syrian society is also fragmented.

“The drivers of conflict continue, grievances are real and enduring and there remain very different visions of post-conflict Syria,” he said, underscoring that without a comprehensive UN-facilitated political process, “it is unrealistic to think” that stability can be achieved.

“We, as the United Nations, are among the very few who can directly engage with Syrians from all sides of this conflict – not just the political actors but civil society too, including women, who we bring to Geneva from all corners of the country and from the diaspora,” Mr. Pedersen emphasized.

Deepening humanitarian crisis

As the Syrian crisis unravels, the humanitarian crisis deepens, with millions of civilians, especially children, facing unprecedented challenges.

More than 16 million require humanitarian aid and protection, over half of them children, Ramesh Rajasingham, Director of Coordination at OCHA, told ambassadors.

Families in desperate needs are forced into “negative coping strategies” – sending young boys out to work and pushing young girls into early marriages, he noted.

Children also face a heightened risk of sexual violence and other forms of abuse, particularly those who are separated from their families or are in internally displaces persons (IDP) camps.

Mr. Rajasingham further noted that faced with skyrocketing needs, humanitarians lack resources to respond. The $4.07 billion 2024 response plan for Syria is just about 25 per cent funded at about $1.04 billion.

Determined to find ways forward

Faced with these “sobering realities”, Mr. Pedersen said he remains determined to find constructive ways forward.

He is set to meet with the Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs and the President of the Syrian Negotiations Commission in New York next week, along with other stakeholders and representatives from donor countries.

His message to all will be clear: the UN-facilitated political process must be advanced on three critical fronts.

These include revitalizing the stalled Constitutional Committee, undertaking trust-building measures and forging a comprehensive new approach that balances the interests of all.

Human Rights Council discussions

Meanwhile in Geneva, the Human Rights Council – UN’s paramount body on all rights-related matters – discussed the situation in Syria, with the head of an independent commission of inquiry stating that the country “descends further into a quagmire of misery and despair”.

“Civilians continue to be killed on a daily basis in a senseless war that has left the country economically and politically broken, dramatically eroding the social fabric,” Paulo Pinheiro, Chair of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry, said during an interactive dialogue with Geneva-based ambassadors.

The discussion followed the presentation earlier this week of the Commission of Inquiry’s report detailing the human rights situation and recommendations for action.

The Commission was established by the Human Rights Council in August 2011 to investigate all alleged violations of international human rights law in Syria since March that year, which saw massive anti-government protests and subsequently quashing by the security forces.

Its chairperson and members are independent of the United Nations. They are not UN staff and do not draw a salary for their work.