Syria

Over 200,000 people have fled the crisis in Sudan to seek refuge in Chad. United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths has allocated $6 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund to host communities in eastern Chad who need food and livelihood support.

Describing a worsening humanitarian and security situation in Syria, amid an uptick in violence in the north-west of the country and with 90 per cent of Syrians living below the poverty line, senior United Nations officials called for the Humanitarian Response Plan to be fully funded and the cross-border aid mechanism to be renewed for another 12 months, as they briefed the Security Council today.

Prior to adopting two draft texts by consensus, the General Assembly voted on a contentious resolution that created a new mechanism to respond to the missing persons crisis in Syria, with some speakers arguing it could contribute to national reconciliation and sustainable peace and others stressing that, not only was Damascus not consulted, but the mechanism interferes with Syria’s internal affairs.

In Syria, a United Nations cross-line convoy of 10 trucks carrying 220 metric tons of humanitarian assistance for 22,000 people crossed from Aleppo to Sarmada on 23 June. While an important complement, the cross-line operation cannot substitute cross-border aid that reaches 2.7 million Syrians each month.

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message to the Seventh Annual Brussels Conference “Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region”, today:

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ flagship annual report, Global Trends in Forced Displacement, noted that by the end of 2022, the number of people displaced by war, persecution, violence and human rights abuses stood at a record 108 million people, up 19.1 million people from 2021, the biggest increase ever.

An estimated 8 million people die annually in 137 low- and middle-income countries from poor-quality health care; that’s according to a new joint report by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Recent expanded diplomatic efforts must be matched with real action to build confidence on the ground and arrive at a political solution that restores Syria’s sovereignty and unity and meets the aspirations of its people, the United Nations senior official on the ground said today during his briefing to the Security Council.

In Sudan, at least 100 trucks of humanitarian assistance reached their destinations in several states, including the capital, Khartoum. They carried 2,600 tons of supplies, including nutrition, water, sanitation and health items for up to 2 million men, women and children.

Amidst a steady influx of people to Vakaga prefecture from Sudan, the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) is maintaining a temporary presence in the village of Tiringoulou following recent attacks against Central African defence forces.