The world’s attention has moved away from Syria following the battle for Aleppo, despite the fact that the last few months have been “some of the worst” for civilians, the United Nations said.
Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, said that the total number of people fleeing the violence in Syria surpassed five million.
“Hundreds of thousands of Syrians trapped in besieged areas are facing “severe and horrific threats,” Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Stephen O’Brien told the Council on Thursday.
“In Syria, there is not a man, woman or child from any walk of life who hasn’t been impacted by the particular wretchedness of this particularly gruesome and protracted conflict.”
“While we rightly acknowledge the current efforts on the political track, we have to maintain a laser focus on the fact that violence continues to rear its ugly head in various parts of the country,” O’Brien added.
O’Brien went on: “The Syrian people need to see a tangible improvement in their daily lives because, quite frankly, it is they who have borne the brunt of this conflict. It is my hope, and the hope of every humanitarian, to see the current political process succeed and we are fully behind the Secretary-General, Special Envoy de Mistura and his team.”
The UN humanitarian chief appealed to the parties, “and all those with influence over them, to strive to overcome their differences, and work together to put an end to the conflict. This is the only way to stop the suffering of Syrian men, women and children.”
O’Brien pointed out that he remained deeply anxious for the safety and protection of over 400,000 civilians due to ongoing military operations in Raqqa governorate.
“We continue to receive reports that fighting and airstrikes continue to result in death and injury of scores of civilians and damage to civilian infrastructure, including schools, bakeries, markets and water infrastructure.”
O’Brien concluded his remarks by calling for enhancing the ceasefire agreement to ensure real protection for civilians and civilian infrastructure and that humanitarian aid keeps flowing to reach all those in need in Syria by removing remaining obstacles and impediments. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department + Agencies)
