UN GENEVA PRESS BRIEFING

20 December 2024

Situation in Syria

Amy Pope, Director-General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), said that the impact of the conflict of 14 years was evident in Syria. As one of the first UN principals to visit Syria, in a delegation led by the UN Humanitarian Coordinator, she had met with a number of counterparts in the country and the transitional authorities. Syria was a country at the crossroads, said Ms. Pope, with a sense of hope, optimism, and opportunity. The situation on the ground was daunting, with at least 16 million people with humanitarian needs. IOM expected that returns would happen on a much larger scale than seen thus far, and everything should be done for those people to return to acceptable conditions. Across the country, a lot of essential infrastructure had been destroyed or was currently not functioning. Aleppo, for instance, had been all but destroyed during the conflict between 2012 and 2016, when over two million people had left the city. 

Humanitarian needs ranged from the most basic, such as shelter, food, and clean water, to the complex task of rebuilding a shattered society.  While there was a strong desire among displaced Syrians to return to their homes, doing so prematurely could overwhelm already fragile infrastructure, potentially forcing families to move again, warned Ms. Pope. She had met with a representative of the caretaker government working on social affairs who would be IOM’s primary government partner in its response. He had expressed interest in rebuilding the country and openness to the international community with a stated willingness to partner to address the needs of Syrians. Ms. Pope reminded that the IOM had been pushed out of the country by the previous government, but it had continued to provide aid through a cross-border programme.

The number one priority now was humanitarian assistance, with more than 90 per cent of the population living below the poverty line; 800,000 people had been newly displaced in recent weeks.  This was an important opportunity to show that the international community could scale up and deliver for the Syrian people, particularly the most vulnerable, whose lives had been devastated by the long war and tyrannical regime. Exemptions from sanctions on reconstruction efforts were now needed. The second key priority was stabilization; justice, reparation, and inclusivity were all important parts of transition. Housing, land, and property rights were also critical, and they lay at the heart of community stabilization, in the context of anticipated returns. In line with the UNHCR’s approach, the IOM for the time being was not promoting large-scale voluntary returns. Many communities were not ready to absorb the return of both internally displaced and refugees, and all returns had to be voluntary, dignified, and safe.  Syrians in neighboring countries were very interested in ‘go-and-see visits’, for which an enabling environment would be needed to allow them to do that in a safe and secure way.  

A critical task right now was capturing data, as it was acknowledged that the data gap existed.  

Ms. Pope said that the IOM could fill this gap, resuming an initiative allowing UN and Government partners to understand where the needs were, where to target assistance, which communities to target and the state of the nation. Without having a picture of all the pieces, the humanitarian aid jigsaw could not be put together.  IOM was scaling up its presence and was in close contact with neighboring countries who had hosted Syrian populations through this time. Ms. Pope concluded by reaffirming the IOM’s commitment to the people of Syria.  

Full statement by Amy Pope is available here.

Answering questions from the media, Ms. Pope said that the sanctions had had a negative effect across the board, which was why they would need to be reevaluated. Across Europe and in neighbouring countries, stressed Ms. Pope, it was still not a moment to speak of mass-scale returns of displaced Syrians. The focus now should be on alleviating the humanitarian situation, reconstruction, and rebuilding. Some seven million Syrians had been displaced around the world; some were continuing to seek asylum in Europe, but at the same time a hundred thousand had returned to Syria over the previous two weeks. The situation was still in flux and varied greatly across the country; some people were going to Syria to assess the situation and then leaving again. Individual community needs, such as access to water, sanitation, health, and land, and housing reconstruction needed to be comprehensively assessed. All partners on the ground had to work together. Some 85,000 had left from Syria into Lebanon, but it was not clear how long they would be staying. Ms. Pope warned against blanket assessments of Syrians’ asylum claims, which ought to be heard and determined individually.

On another question, Ms. Pope said that there were concerns over the position of some factions in the victorious coalition on women’s issues; it was critical that women’s rights were fully respected, and their voices heard during the transition. Speaking on her first year in office, Ms. Pope stated that the IOM had done incredible work on the ground but could do more communicating about its work to help shape the narratives around the world. She also referred to the IOM’s partnerships on preventive work to help those displaced by climate change. On another question, she reminded that it was difficult to predict the position of the incoming US administration, but the US was a founding member of the IOM and a major supporter, and it was hoped that its support for the IOM would continue. She reiterated that in Syria the IOM was committed to working with all stakeholders, national and international, and the funding needs would be enormous.

Also answering a question, Alessandra Vellucci, for the United Nations Information Service (UNIS), referred to the Secretary-General’s statement from the previous day, in which he stressed that during the transition Syria’s sovereignty, territorial unity, and integrity had to be fully restored, and all acts of aggression had to come to an immediate end.

Dr. Christina Bethke, Acting World Health Organization (WHO) Representative in Syria, speaking from Damascus, said that the resilience of the Syrian people was on full display, as was their hope for the future. Amidst numerous challenges, the WHO remained steadfast, not just in delivering life-saving aid and ensuring healthcare reaches those who needed it most, but also in helping Syrians rebuild their lives and recover from years of crisis. Fragile hope kept Syrians going, even as they endured tremendous hardships, sleeping in tents through the bitter cold of winter. In these conditions, displaced populations, especially those living in camps or informal settlements, were extremely vulnerable. Overcrowded living conditions, food insecurity, and inadequate sanitation were perfect breeding grounds for nutritional deficiencies, respiratory infections, and other communicable diseases such as diarrheal disease, as well as lice and scabies, which could lead to long-term health complications. Humanitarian needs remained immense; over half of the country’s hospitals were currently not functional.

WHO had launched an appeal to raise USD 56.4 million to meet these urgent needs over the next six months. This funding would sustain critical health services during this transitional period, including 141 health facilities in northwest Syria at risk of closure in the coming weeks, and support Syria’s long road to recovery. WHO was doing everything possible to bridge this gap,

facilitating access to healthcare for displaced populations and returnees through referrals to functional facilities and mobile clinics providing basic care, vaccinations, and maternal health services, integrating mental health support into healthcare facilities, particularly for those affected by trauma, etc. Everyone was deeply hopeful for their children, for their homes, and a Syria rebuilt on peace and solidarity. Dr. Bethke called on the international community to act now, whose swift action could save lives, restore hope, and help rebuild a nation yearning for stability and peace.

Thameen Al-Kheetan, for the United Nations Human Rights (OHCHR), said that the previous day Karla Quintana had been appointed as head of the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in the Syrian Arab Republic (IIMP). Her appointment came after nearly a year and a half of work the UN Human Rights Office supporting the launch of this important institution. This was an important moment in Syria, both for those who were still missing, and for their loved ones. Many missing had been detained incommunicado for years, leaving their families in distress and without any information on their fate or whereabouts. They needed psychosocial support, stressed Mr. Al-Kheetan.

While the IIMP would focus on reducing the suffering of families of the missing, the OHCHR and other international mechanisms, including the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria and the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism, would work on monitoring and collecting information about past and present human rights violations and abuses, within the scope of their respective mandates. The following week, the OHCHR would deploy a small team of human rights officers to Syria to support the existing UN presence on human rights issues, as well as efforts aimed at ensuring that any transition is inclusive and within the framework of international law. Transitional justice and community trust building anchored in human rights would be a very important chapter in Syria’s future. It was fundamental that the caretaker authorities take immediate steps to ensure the preservation of evidence of past crimes and violations. Human rights had to be central to an inclusive transition, if Syria was to come to terms with its past and construct a society in which the rights of all Syrians would be respected, protected, and fulfilled, irrespective of gender, ethnic or religious community, age, or ability.

OHCHR statement is available here.

Answering questions from the media, Mr. Al-Kheetan, for the OHCHR, stressed that Bashar Al-Assad and all those who might have committed crimes ought to be held accountable in line with international standards. The International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism on Syria, established by the General Assembly, was one of the bodies at work to collect information and data, which were then shared with relevant jurisdictions. Mr. Al-Kheetan emphasized that human rights were central in the transition process, and the international obligations of Syria did not change, no matter who was in power. On another question, Mr. Al-Kheetan explained that an OHCHR team of three staff would go to Damascus the following week, where they would support the existing UN presences. OHCHR had not had been present in Syria for many years, and there was a hope this would change, and, in the meantime, the small team would provide human rights support to the rest of the UN.

Speaking of the qualifications of Karla Quintana, who had just been appointed as Head of the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in Syria, Alessandra Vellucci, for UNIS, informed that she was a human rights expert and legal scholar with extensive experience in international human rights law, transitional justice, and constitutional law. In her home country of Mexico, she had led efforts to address over 100,000 cases of disappearances and more than 70,000 unidentified bodies.

Dr. Bethke, for the WHO, said that resources were badly needed to rebuild health facilities and make them functional before people returned en masse. In parts of northeast Syria, specifically in the Al Hol camp, there had been confirmed cases of cholera, she informed. Between 27 November and today, there had been 36 registered attacks on healthcare, an enormous increase compared to previous years. Twenty-five of the attacks had affected health facilities and six had affected health transportation. More than 100 casualties had been recorded in those attacks.

Situation in Gaza

Rosalia Bollen, for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), speaking from Amman, said that children in Gaza were sick, tired, and traumatized. Over 96 percent of women and children in Gaza could not meet their basic nutritional needs, and their very limited diet was slowly but steadily compromising their health. The northernmost part of Gaza had been under almost complete siege for 75 days now, reminded Ms. Bollen. Gaza was one of the most heartbreaking places for humanitarians to work, where over 14,500 children had been reportedly killed and thousands more injured. Ms. Bollen spoke of meeting a young boy who had been rendered blind by a recent attack, and another severely malnourished seven-year-old boy weighing only 2.7 kg, who had later passed away. Fear, utter deprivation and unimaginable suffering were a daily reality for so many children in Gaza. The stories Ms. Bollen had heard and witnessed over the past weeks would haunt her for the rest of her life, she said. Diseases were ravaging children while hospitals were under attack and lacking medical supplies and doctors. There were immediate things that could be done today, such as using our voices and political leverage to provide for medical evaluations of critically sick or injured children. Every day without action stole another day from Gaza’s children. Gaza’s children could not wait, stressed Ms. Bollen.

Louise Wateridge, for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), speaking from Nuseirat in Gaza, said that heavy rains were expected in Gaza today, while 69 percent of buildings had been destroyed or damaged, and with many people missing an adequate shelter. Humanitarians in Gaza had to choose whether to prioritize providing people with food or shelter. Even in shelters, people were not protected from strikes, said Ms. Wateridge, as the shelters were often not hard structures. She spoke of toddlers in hospitals missing limbs, families under rubble and UN humanitarians being denied access to them, and children scrapping for pieces of bread just to survive. UNRWA had had no access to Rafah since May, informed Ms. Wateridge; there was also no access to the besieged north. Ms. Wateridge shared a story of an elderly woman who had been pushed in a wheelchair by male relatives, who were then shot by snipers and eaten by stray dogs, without her being able to move or do anything. When there were strikes, journalists ran for their lives, and often their videos would not show those who could not flee, such as the elderly or children. The entire Gaza was now a graveyard. Over two million people were stuck, could not leave, while their needs were being denied.

Responding to questions from the journalists, Ms. Wateridge, for UNRWA, stated that convoys were proving more and more difficult, with roads, streets and building massively destroyed and rubble everywhere making access more difficult. There had also been looting by violent gangs. There was a direct correlation between the closing of Rafah border crossing and the level of criminality in Gaza. Warehouses were now empty, and as soon as supplies came in, they were sent out. Safe distribution of humanitarian aid was under the responsibility of Israeli authorities, she said. Ms. Bollen, for UNICEF, added that virtually all children under two consumed from no more than two food groups; those children needed access to nutritious food, otherwise they could suffer from life-long consequences of wasting or stunting; malnutrition was also making them more susceptible to diseases. James Elder, for UNICEF, said that might, rather than right, was determining who was continuing to get justice. When international humanitarian law was continuously broken with impunity, injustice was being normalized. That should not be allowed to continue in 2025. It was the responsibility of the occupying power to ensure that humanitarian aid reached those who needed it, stressed Mr. Al-Kheetan, for OHCHR.

Alarming siege of El Fasher

Seif Magango, for the United Nations Human Rights (OHCHR), said that today, the OHCHR was issuing a report on the ongoing siege and hostilities in El Fasher, the capital of Sudan’s North Darfur State, which had left at least 782 civilians dead and more than 1,143 injured. The continuing siege of El Fasher and the relentless fighting were devastating lives every day on a massive scale. For seven months since the siege began, El Fasher had been turned into a battleground between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), backed by its allied Joint Forces. The report found that the parties had used explosive weapons in populated areas in a manner raising serious concerns regarding respect for the principle of precaution, and the prohibition of indiscriminate attacks.

Al-Saudi Maternity Hospital, currently the only remaining public hospital in El Fasher capable of providing surgical operations and sexual and reproductive health services, had been shelled repeatedly by the RSF, said the report. Zamzam IDP camp, located about 15 km south of El Fasher town and currently home to hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people, had seen an increased presence of the SAF-allied Joint Forces and had been shelled six times by the RSF, reportedly leaving at least 15 displaced people dead. This, coupled with reports of increased mobilization of fighters by the parties to the conflict along tribal lines across Darfur, indicated preparations for further hostilities may be under way. The UN Human Rights Office called on all parties to the conflict to embrace mediation efforts in good faith, with a view to the immediate cessation of hostilities.

OHCHR press release can be found here, and the full report is available here.

Arrivals from Sudan overwhelm South Sudan

Marie-Helene Verney, United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) Representative in South Sudan, speaking from Juba, expressed condolences to the World Food Programme, which had lost three of ist staff in Sudan the previous day. Since April 2023, more than 900,000 had fled from Sudan to South Sudan. For the past three months, an average of 800 people had been arriving, but in recent weeks, the numbers were spiking, and most people were arriving to the northeast of the country, including through many informal crossing points. This presented several significant challenges, including the fact that the arrivals were staying very close to the border and the response was being stretched thin. UNHCR was concentrating on life-saving assistance, such as water, food and emergency health support. UNHCR was concerned about the safety of refugees and returnees as well as its own staff. Ms. Verney explained that the impact of the crisis on South Sudan had gone beyond the numbers of arrivals, as the main source of the country’s revenue from oil transport had collapsed. The inflation in the country had gone up and salaries in the public sector had not been paid for months. UNHCR was trying to persuade the displaced not to stay too close to the border because of the risks. The humanitarian response plan for Sudan was only 24 percent funded. Today, a humanitarian displacement appeal for South Sudan, worth USD 468 million, was being launched.

Alessandra Vellucci, for the UN Information Service (UNIS), read from the WFP statement in which the agency informed that three staff, citizens of South Sudan, had been killed on 16 December while trying to make their way to the WFP warehouse, where they had been working.

Answering questions, Ms. Verney, for UNHCR, said that since the beginning of December, 7-10,000 people had been arriving daily. The impact on the towns and villages close to the border was overwhelming. Response mechanisms, while in place for 20 months already, were being stretched by the immense spike in the numbers of arrivals. She reminded that almost one million people had arrived to a country of 12 million, while almost 80 percent of national revenue, stemming from oil, was no longer coming in. Ms. Verney explained that refugees were not interested in staying in rural areas and there was a lot of onward movement.

Announcements

Sophie Fisher, for the International Labour Organization (ILO), informed that today was her last day at the ILO, as she was retiring at the end of 2024. She thanked UNIS, other colleagues and the press corps at the Palais des Nations, whose work she appreciated. Several journalists took the floor to express their gratitude for Ms. Fisher’s collegiality and cooperation, and to wish her very best in the future.

Alessandra Vellucci, for the United Nations Information Service (UNIS), said that this was the last briefing of 2024. The next briefing would be on 7 January 2025. She thanked the media colleagues and journalists for their cooperation throughout the year. Journalists could access the Palais throughout the period, except for 25, 26 and 27 December and the weekends; if they needed access on those days, they should contact UNIS.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

ILO Sophie Fisher (Zoom)

· Farewell

TOPICS

WHO Tarik Jašarević (Zoom) with Dr. Christina Bethke, Acting WHO Representative in Syria (From Damascus)

· Update on the health situation in Syria

OHCHR Thameen Al-Kheetan (PR)

· Syria: Missing persons and other human rights concerns

UNICEF James Elder (PR) with Rosalia Bollen, UNICEF’s communication specialist in Gaza (From Amman)

· Nutrition crisis in Gaza, worsening in winter and amid disease.

UNRWA Louise Wateridge, Senior Emergency Officer (From Gaza)

• Update on Gaza

OHCHR Seif Magango (PR)

· Sudan: Alarming El Fasher siege, call to end hostilities

UNHCR Olga Sarrado (PR) with Marie-Helene Verney, UNHCR Representative in South Sudan (From Juba)

· UNHCR and partners rush aid as Sudan arrivals overwhelm South Sudan

Listening / available for questions but not briefing:

IOM Kennedy Omondi (PR)

IFRC Hannah Copeland (Zoom)

UNAIDS Charlotte Sector (Zoom)

UNHCR William Spindler (Zoom)