UN calls for protection of civilians in Syria amid “largest escalation of hostilities since 2019”

In a press conference held today, Tuesday, at the United Nations headquarters in New York, Abdel Mawla, who was speaking via video from Damascus, reported that the recent escalation of hostilities had caused many civilian casualties, the displacement of tens of thousands of people, the interruption of basic services, and the disruption of humanitarian operations.

He added: “We have received reports indicating that dozens of civilians have been killed and many others injured, including women and children, and insecurity continues to restrict movement. Therefore, the extent of civilian casualties in many areas remains unclear.”.

Abdel Mawla explained that according to local health authorities, at least 33 civilians were killed, including 17 children and five women, and 125 others were injured, including 51 children and 37 women. He added that these recent attacks affected two camps for displaced people, a water station, four schools, two ambulances, and many health facilities.

The UN official said that while thousands of displaced people arrived in the central and southern regions of the country, “Many of them are trapped on the front lines, unable to seek safety in other areas of the country.”He also pointed to reports of displacement movements from parts of Aleppo to northern and northeastern Syria.

Priority humanitarian needs

The Humanitarian Coordinator in Syria explained that the priority needs currently include food, health, water, protection services and non-food items, adding: “We are doing our best to provide as much assistance as possible given limited resources and access.”.

He pointed to the increase in some public health concerns, including the presence of unburied bodies and the lack of clean water for several days, noting that the Aleppo and Idlib university hospitals were exposed to damage. Abdul Mawla said that some humanitarian services were also affected, including water stations and bakeries in Aleppo, in addition to the frequent disruption of communications.

He added that studies have been suspended in schools in many areas, along with major public services, in addition to the continuing power outages in Aleppo and Hama. The UN official stressed that: “Civilians must be protected at all times and wherever they are.”.

Displacement and mobilization for response

Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syrian Crisis, Ramanathan Balakrishnan, spoke at the same video press conference, where he noted that the latest escalation comes after a period of increased bombing and airstrikes in northwest Syria since October 14.

He added: “We have seen an increase in violence in many parts of the country in the past few months, including attacks in northwest and northeastern Syria that have caused civilian casualties and damage to infrastructure.”.

He said the latest figures indicate that more than 5,000 families, equivalent to between 30,000 and 40,000 people, have entered the northeastern region, adding “This clearly places severe pressures on humanitarian services and the ability of humanitarian actors to support them in the north-east.”.

He explained that as of December 2, more than 2,600 people, most of them women and children, had sought refuge in 12 reception centres, where 15 partner UN non-governmental organizations were providing a multi-sectoral humanitarian response. He added: “Partners are preparing to redirect part of the ongoing winter response to support the most vulnerable families affected by the hostilities.”.

He warned that the humanitarian crisis in Syria was severe even before the recent escalation, noting that as the year approached its end, the humanitarian response plan, which seeks to help 16.7 million Syrians, was only 29.5 percent funded.

Balakrishnan said that now is the right time to… “Ensuring that Syria receives the funding it requires and deserves, especially in light of recent escalations.”.