New york, Nov. 19 (Petra) The UN Security Council discussed Syria’s political and humanitarian issues Wednesday in a public session, followed by closed consultations.
Lisa Doughten, Director of Finance and Communications at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), briefed the Council that over 16 million people in Syria remain in need of humanitarian assistance, with local insecurity and climate shocks exacerbating these needs.
Doughten noted that "there is still hope for millions of Syrians," as reflected in the increasing number of people choosing to return home, including 1.2 million from neighboring countries and over 1.9 million internally displaced. However, she emphasized that these individuals "still require support to rebuild their lives," especially with winter approaching.
She called on the international community to continue efforts to calm ongoing conflict zones, prevent new outbreaks of violence, increase funding for humanitarian operations, and make substantial, targeted investments in development and reconstruction.
On the political front, UN Deputy Special Envoy for Syria, Najat Rochdi, stated that ongoing military operations and Israeli incursions into Syrian territory continue to endanger civilians, inflame regional tensions, undermine fragile security, and threaten the political transition process.
//Petra// AF
