UN Special Envoy continues shuttle diplomacy on Syria

Geir Petersen is due to confer with Arab foreign ministers, the Foreign Minister of Türkiye, US Secretary of State and other senior officials who will be present at a meeting in Aqaba, said UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, briefing reporters in New York.

Mr. Pedersen has held “numerous phone consultations”, including with the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Iraq and the Netherlands, Mr. Dujarric added, as well as senior officials from a range of other countries, while also maintaining regular contact with key actors on the ground.

Security situation fluid

Meanwhile, UN aid coordination office, OCHA, said the UN and partners continue to support the humanitarian response inside Syria, including boosting healthcare services, although there have been disruptions due to the “fluid security situation”, and some facilities have had to close due to looting and lack of medical staff and medicine.

In northeast Syria, health partners have activated more than 20 mobile units for critical cases and to provide primary care, while in the northwest, 30 mobile medical teams have been deployed to provide basic healthcare, vaccinations and maternal health services.

“We also continue to support displaced people and deliver aid, including food, tents, winter clothes, hygiene kits and cash,” said Mr. Dujarric. 

However, UN humanitarian colleagues are saying more support is needed to reach more people and assist host communities.

‘Constructive’ support from de facto authorities: UNHCR

The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said thousands of Syrian refugees have started to return from Lebanon through the official Masnaa border point. At the same time, some Syrians have fled into Lebanon.

UNHCR’s Gonzalo Vargas Llosa told reporters in Geneva more than 13 million had been forced from their homes during the 14 years of brutal conflict, and UNHCR has been a constant presence on the ground.

A main challenge is that there are no immigration authorities on the Syrian side, Mr. Vargas Llosa said, as the de facto authorities have not yet established new border controls.

He said UNHCR has been told by the de facto authorities in control of the main cities that the agency’s work is appreciated, and the authorities will provide the “necessary security” to protect UN workers.

The senior refugee agency official expressed optimism at the “constructive attitude” of the transitional authorities so far, adding that citizens returning home had three key expectations for the days ahead.

“First, a peaceful political transition at the top. Second, tolerance, reconciliation and acceptance in communities where Syrians are returning, and third, Syrians need not just immediate relief, but an injection of international support to resume a dignified life.”

Search for the missing

Meanwhile, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has documented 35,000 missing individuals in Syria, but the true number is likely much higher due to under-reporting.

Many families remain in a state of agonising uncertainty about the fate of their loved ones. The ICRC on Friday called for immediate discussions with interim authorities to safeguard evidence, including mass grave sites.

“There will be a need for a repository to collect this information. Such a repository does not yet exist, and we are offering to work with the authorities to determine the best way to proceed,” said Stephan Sakalian, ICRC’s head of delegation for Syria.