\n
<\/p>\n
Geir Petersen is due to confer with Arab foreign ministers, the Foreign Minister of T\u00fcrkiye, US Secretary of State and other senior officials who will be present at a meeting in Aqaba, said UN Spokesperson St\u00e9phane Dujarric, briefing reporters in New York.<\/p>\n
Mr. Pedersen has held \u201cnumerous phone consultations\u201d, 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.<\/p>\n
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 \u201cfluid security situation\u201d, and some facilities have had to close due to looting and lack of medical staff and medicine.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe also continue to support displaced people and deliver aid, including food, tents, winter clothes, hygiene kits and cash,\u201d said Mr. Dujarric.\u00a0<\/p>\n
However, UN humanitarian colleagues are saying more support is needed to reach more people and assist host communities.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
UNHCR\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
He said UNHCR has been told by the de facto authorities in control of the main cities that the agency\u2019s work is appreciated, and the authorities will provide the \u201cnecessary security\u201d<\/strong> to protect UN workers.<\/p>\n The senior refugee agency official expressed optimism at the \u201cconstructive attitude\u201d of the transitional authorities so far, adding that citizens returning home had three key expectations for the days ahead.<\/p>\n