Syria, Crisis of ‘Epic Proportions’

28-01-2023

Amanda Benoy

Middle East Researcher

Global Human Rights Defence

The United Nations Security Council convened on 25 January 2023 to review the political and humanitarian situation in Syria. The meeting opened with a briefing by the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria, Geir Pedersen, followed by a briefing by the Deputy Director of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Ghada Eltahir Mudawi. The briefings were accompanied by statements from Security Council members, as well as representatives of Iran, Syria, and Turkey. The open meeting was followed by closed consultations on Syria.

Geir Pedersen called attention to the humanitarian, political, military, security, economic, and human rights crisis afflicting Syrians, characterizing the situation as “almost unimaginable in scale” and “of epic proportions”. He noted the need for a political solution, but conveyed a lack of progress in shaping “a common political vision” for the future of Syrians. Ghada Eltahir Mudawi reported that nearly 70% of Syrians require humanitarian assistance; yet, financial support for the 2022 Humanitarian Response Plan had achieved a record low of only 47% of required funding. She called for renewed commitment, enhanced humanitarian access, and greater financial support.

Council members welcomed the renewal of the humanitarian mandate at the Bab al-Hawa border crossing on 9 January 2023, but expressed concern regarding the humanitarian impact of overlapping crises on the Syrian population and urged donors to increase financial support. The representatives of both Syria and Russia underscored the impact of sanctions on the humanitarian situation in Syria. In November 2022, the Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights called for the lifting of unilateral sanctions contributing to the exacerbation of Syria’s humanitarian crisis. A United Nations Country Team report on the impact of sanctions in Syria is anticipated in the coming days.

Sources and further reading

Bassam Sabbagh, ‘The Situation in the Middle East’ (Statement at the 9248th meeting of the Security Council, 25 January 2023) <https://media.un.org/en/asset/k1i/k1iremt3ta> accessed 27 January 2023.

Geir Pedersen, ‘The Situation in the Middle East’ (Brief at the 9248th meeting of the Security Council, 25 January 2023) <https://media.un.org/en/asset/k1i/k1iremt3ta> accessed 27 January 2023.

Ghada Eltahir Mudawi, ‘The Situation in the Middle East’ (Brief at the 9248th meeting of the Security Council, 25 January 2023) <https://media.un.org/en/asset/k1i/k1iremt3ta> accessed 27 January 2023.

‘UN expert calls for lifting of long-lasting unilateral sanctions ‘suffocating’ Syrian people’ (United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner, 10 November 2022) <https://www.ohchr.org/en/node/104160> accessed 28 January 2023.

Vassily Nebenzia, ‘The Situation in the Middle East’ (Statement at the 9248th meeting of the Security Council, 25 January 2023) <https://media.un.org/en/asset/k1i/k1iremt3ta> accessed 27 January 2023.