Syria could return ‘to larger-scale fighting’, UN warns
2 years, 6 months ago

Syria could return ‘to larger-scale fighting’, UN warns

Al Jazeera  

UN report finds ‘grave violations of fundamental human rights and humanitarian law’ have increased across the country. Millions are suffering and dying in displacement camps, while resources are becoming scarcer and donor fatigue is rising,” said Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, chair of the UN’s Syria commission. In recent months, an intensification along Syria’s northern front has increased the suffering of citizens, warned the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic in its report. Syria can't afford return to larger-scale fighting but escalation may be looming,” Report: https://t.co/fMIt2TDJQY pic.twitter.com/7Kn8gXpQPa — UN Syria Commission September 14, 2022 Families living in front-line areas have borne the brunt of pro-government forces’ ground-to-ground shelling in these areas, the report documented, with “children killed on their way to school, men killed as they tended to their shops, and an entire family killed as they gathered outside their home for afternoon tea.” “Tens of thousands of Syrians remain forcibly disappeared or missing to date. WATCH the press conference ▶️ https://t.co/lFvfsE2yhH pic.twitter.com/nCQ0RjipAp — UN Human Rights Council 📍 #HRC51 September 14, 2022 The report found that “grave violations of fundamental human rights and humanitarian law” had increased across the country in the first six months of this year.

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History of this topic

UN refugee chief calls for more help for Syria as refugees begin to return en masse
2 months, 1 week ago

UN refugee chief calls for more help for Syria as refugees begin to return en masse

Associated Press  

DAMASCUS, Syria — The United Nations refugee chief said Saturday that some 200,000 refugees have returned to Syria from neighboring countries since the government of Bashar Assad was overthrown last month. However, U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi cautioned during a visit to Damascus during which he met with Syria’s new de facto leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, that many of …

Syrians are ready to rebuild their country, but they need solidarity
2 months, 1 week ago

Syrians are ready to rebuild their country, but they need solidarity

Al Jazeera  

Syria is not ready to welcome back its refugees. It has been more than a month since Bashar al-Assad’s regime collapsed in Syria, marking the end of a 13-year-long revolution. Syria’s education system stands in a state of near collapse in many parts of the country as many schools are either destroyed or still used as shelters for the internally …

U.N. special envoy for Syria calls for sanctions relief following Assad’s fall
3 months, 2 weeks ago

U.N. special envoy for Syria calls for sanctions relief following Assad’s fall

The Hindu  

The United Nations special envoy for Syria on Sunday called for a quick end to Western sanctions after the ouster of President Bashar Assad. The Syrian government has been under strict sanctions by the United States, European Union and others for years as a result of Assad’s brutal response to what began as peaceful anti-government protests in 2011 and later …

United Nations envoy warns against Syria collapse at crisis talks
3 months, 2 weeks ago

United Nations envoy warns against Syria collapse at crisis talks

The Hindu  

A United Nations envoy on Saturday urged foreign powers to work to avoid a collapse of vital Syrian institutions following the downfall of leader Bashar al-Assad, as diplomats gathered in Jordan for a conference on the crisis. Geir Pedersen, the U.N.’s special envoy for Syria, also backed a “credible and inclusive” political process to form the next government as he …

A trickle of refugees are returning to Syria with hope in their hearts. But millions of migrants could yet be heading in the other direction, writes ALAN MENDOZA
3 months, 3 weeks ago

A trickle of refugees are returning to Syria with hope in their hearts. But millions of migrants could yet be heading in the other direction, writes ALAN MENDOZA

Daily Mail  

It is only human to rejoice at the scenes of unbridled celebration on the streets of Damascus and Aleppo over the past few days. Meanwhile, Syria descended into a civil war following Bashar al-Assad's clampdown on the 2011 Arab Spring rebellions against his regime, prompting millions of refugees to leave the country for the West, including Germany, where they were …

UN says 16 mln people need aid in Syria
3 months, 3 weeks ago

UN says 16 mln people need aid in Syria

China Daily  

A man sits outside a damaged building, after Bashar al-Assad's government collapsed, in Aleppo, Syria, December 9, 2024. "Despite the challenges and the volatile situation, we and our partners continue to provide emergency aid," the office said. The office said that in northwest Syria, all humanitarian organizations in Idlib and northern Aleppo resumed regular operations and the three border crossings …

Wars waged by Israel and Russia changed Syria’s fortune. What comes next is impossible to know
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Wars waged by Israel and Russia changed Syria’s fortune. What comes next is impossible to know

CNN  

CNN — In every crisis lies opportunity, and in every opportunity lurks crisis. Syria has always been the wing-nut of the region: linking Iraq’s oil to the Mediterranean, the Shia of Iraq and Iran to Lebanon, and NATO’s southern underbelly Turkey to Jordan’s deserts. From Ankara’s perspective, the Syria problem has never gone away even though attention to it faded; …

Wars waged by Israel and Russia changed Syria’s fortune. What comes next is impossible to know
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Wars waged by Israel and Russia changed Syria’s fortune. What comes next is impossible to know

CNN  

CNN — In every crisis lies opportunity, and in every opportunity lurks crisis. Syria has always been the wing-nut of the region: linking Iraq’s oil to the Mediterranean, the Shia of Iraq and Iran to Lebanon, and NATO’s southern underbelly Turkey to Jordan’s deserts. From Ankara’s perspective, the Syria problem has never gone away even though attention to it faded; …

Increased hostilities in Syria gravely concerns humanitarians: UN
Top News
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Increased hostilities in Syria gravely concerns humanitarians: UN

China Daily  

UNITED NATIONS -- UN humanitarians said on Thursday they are gravely concerned about increased hostilities in northwest Syria. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said local authorities reported tens of thousands of displaced families in Hama, some of whom fled to Homs. OCHA said it had worked in Hama with humanitarian partners before fighting broke out to …

Increased hostilities in Syria gravely concerns humanitarians: UN
Top News
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Increased hostilities in Syria gravely concerns humanitarians: UN

China Daily  

UNITED NATIONS -- UN humanitarians said on Thursday they are gravely concerned about increased hostilities in northwest Syria. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said local authorities reported tens of thousands of displaced families in Hama, some of whom fled to Homs. OCHA said it had worked in Hama with humanitarian partners before fighting broke out to …

In Syria, a long-dormant civil war reignites
3 months, 4 weeks ago

In Syria, a long-dormant civil war reignites

LA Times  

Middle East observers would be forgiven for thinking they were in a time machine when Syria’s rebels blitzed last week through the country’s northwestern regions, capturing Aleppo in a stunning advance that has reignited the country’s long-dormant civil war. World & Nation For Syrians, a bitter, blood-soaked decade Ten years later, Syria’s civil war, with its untold numbers of dead, …

While Syrian refugees don’t want to return, officials in Lebanon and Syria see exodus as opportunity
4 months, 3 weeks ago

While Syrian refugees don’t want to return, officials in Lebanon and Syria see exodus as opportunity

Associated Press  

BEIRUT — Hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees have returned to their country since Israel launched a massive aerial bombardment on wide swathes of Lebanon in September. Lebanon’s caretaker Minister of Social Affairs Hector Hajjar told Russia’s Sputnik News last month that the war in Lebanon could yield “a positive benefit, an opportunity to return a large number of displaced …

UN seeks $4B for aid in Syria as civilians face growing humanitarian crisis
1 year ago

UN seeks $4B for aid in Syria as civilians face growing humanitarian crisis

Associated Press  

BEIRUT — A U.N. humanitarian official appealed Friday for more than $4 billion in life-saving aid for more than 10 million Syrians, saying that the country’s largely forgotten crisis remains “one of the most deadly to civilians in the world.” Adam Abdelmoula, resident coordinator in Syria for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, made the appeal days …

A UN envoy says the Israel-Hamas war is spilling into Syria, adding to growing instability there
1 year, 5 months ago

A UN envoy says the Israel-Hamas war is spilling into Syria, adding to growing instability there

Associated Press  

UNITED NATIONS — The Israel-Hamas war is spilling into Syria, fueled by growing instability, violence and a lack of progress toward a political solution to its 12-year conflict, the United Nations special envoy for the country said Monday. Pedersen pointed to airstrikes attributed to Israel hitting Syria’s airports in Aleppo and Damascus several times, and retaliation by the United States …

UN envoy urges donor support for battered Syria facing an economic crisis
1 year, 6 months ago

UN envoy urges donor support for battered Syria facing an economic crisis

Associated Press  

DAMASCUS, Syria — The United Nations special envoy for Syria Sunday urged donors not to reduce their funding as the war-torn country’s economic crisis spirals. For years, the U.N. has been trying to restart stalled talks to reach a political settlement in Syria — including Syrian government representatives rewriting a constitution with a delegation representing opposition groups. Now with the …

UN warns that 90% of Syrians are below the poverty line, while millions face cuts in food aid
1 year, 9 months ago

UN warns that 90% of Syrians are below the poverty line, while millions face cuts in food aid

The Independent  

Get Nadine White's Race Report newsletter for a fresh perspective on the week's news Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. But Russia’s U.N. ambassador, whose country is Syria’s most important ally, called …

UN warns that 90% of Syrians are below the poverty line, while millions face cuts in food aid
1 year, 9 months ago

UN warns that 90% of Syrians are below the poverty line, while millions face cuts in food aid

Associated Press  

UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. humanitarian chief warned Thursday that the 12-year conflict in Syria has pushed 90% of its population below the poverty line, and that millions face cuts in food aid next month because of a funding shortfall. But Russia’s U.N. ambassador, whose country is Syria’s most important ally, called the cross-border aid deliveries “a zero-sum game” that …

Arab League nations welcome back longtime pariah Syria at annual summit
1 year, 10 months ago

Arab League nations welcome back longtime pariah Syria at annual summit

LA Times  

In March 2013, with almost 100,000 dead in the then-two-year Syrian revolution against President Bashar Assad, a Muslim cleric who headed the Syrian opposition was welcomed to take the country’s seat at the annual summit of Arab leaders. On Friday, 11½ years after his government’s Arab League membership was suspended, Assad returned to the Arab summit, the strongest signal yet …

UN inquiry commission: Quake aid was slow to reach Syria
2 years ago

UN inquiry commission: Quake aid was slow to reach Syria

Associated Press  

GENEVA — The international community and the Syrian government did not act quickly enough last month to help people in need in the rebel-held northwest after a deadly earthquake hit Turkey and conflict-ravaged Syria, a U.N.-backed commission said Monday. “Since the earthquake, we have seen many acts to help victims by the Syrians themselves,” commission member Paulo Pinheiro said during …

Syria's Assad Could Reap Rewards From Aid Crossing Deal
2 years, 1 month ago

Syria's Assad Could Reap Rewards From Aid Crossing Deal

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING BEIRUT — A convoy of 11 trucks from a United Nations agency crossed into northern Syria from Turkey on Tuesday, just hours after the U.N. and Syrian government reached an agreement to temporarily authorize two new border crossings into the rebel enclave, devastated by the region’s deadly earthquake. SANA/Syrian government via Associated Press Asked why it took …

U.N. says more Syrians need aid now than at any time during war
3 years, 1 month ago

U.N. says more Syrians need aid now than at any time during war

LA Times  

Workers try to extinguish a fire after the Syrian regime attacked a fuel depot near the city of Dana. More Syrians need humanitarian assistance now than at any time since the country’s civil war began in 2011, the U.N.’s deputy humanitarian chief said Friday, a sign that “the world is failing the Syrian people.” Assistant Secretary-General Joyce Msuya told the …

US urges UN to stop making aid to Syria a political issue
4 years ago

US urges UN to stop making aid to Syria a political issue

Associated Press  

UNITED NATIONS — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged the divided U.N. Security Council on Monday to stop making humanitarian aid to war-torn Syria a political issue and open more border crossings to get food and other help to 13.4 million people in need. He accused aid groups of discriminating against Damascus-controlled regions and refusing to fund Syria’s recovery …

Pleas for more aid to Syria: ‘We don’t have nearly enough’
4 years ago

Pleas for more aid to Syria: ‘We don’t have nearly enough’

Associated Press  

BEIRUT — At age 19, Fatima al-Omar is at her wits’ end. Then the coronavirus struck, aggravating conditions in northwest Syria just as new fighting had uprooted 1 million people — the biggest wave of displacement in the country’s 10-year war. Despite the worsening humanitarian situation across war-ravaged Syria, it’s been getting tougher every year to raise money from global …

Influential countries are ‘turning their backs’ – economic destitution is driving Syria’s humanitarian crisis
4 years ago

Influential countries are ‘turning their backs’ – economic destitution is driving Syria’s humanitarian crisis

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. And so the NRC expects a …

Syrian war being ‘forgotten and ignored’ after 10 years of deadly conflict
4 years, 1 month ago

Syrian war being ‘forgotten and ignored’ after 10 years of deadly conflict

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The Syrian civil war is …

U.N.: Humanitarian Crisis In Syria Reaches 'Horrifying New Level'
5 years, 1 month ago

U.N.: Humanitarian Crisis In Syria Reaches 'Horrifying New Level'

NPR  

U.N.: Humanitarian Crisis In Syria Reaches 'Horrifying New Level' Enlarge this image toggle caption Muhammed Said/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Muhammed Said/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images The humanitarian crisis in Syria has reached a "horrifying new level," according to a U.N. official. "Before this most recent wave, there were already 6.2 million internally displaced persons in Syria, including 2.5 million …

UN: Northwest Syria fighting displaces over 500,000 in 2 months
5 years, 1 month ago

UN: Northwest Syria fighting displaces over 500,000 in 2 months

Al Jazeera  

Russia-backed offensive against rebel enclave forces 520,000 from their homes in two months, mostly women and children. The United Nations has sounded the alarm over a severe humanitarian crisis unfolding in Syria’s northwest, where a Russian-backed Syrian government push against the country’s last rebel-held stronghold has forced more 500,000 people from their homes in two months. Last Saturday, UNICEF, the …

Turkey's Invasion Of Syria Worsens A Humanitarian Crisis
5 years, 5 months ago

Turkey's Invasion Of Syria Worsens A Humanitarian Crisis

NPR  

Turkey's Invasion Of Syria Worsens A Humanitarian Crisis Enlarge this image toggle caption Bulent Kilic/AFP via Getty Images Bulent Kilic/AFP via Getty Images As a military offensive by Turkey into Syria enters its third day, aid agencies are increasingly concerned. Sponsor Message Middle East In Northern Syria, Troops From Turkey Advance On Kurdish Forces In Northern Syria, Troops From Turkey …

'I Hope To God We Will Be Safe': Refugees In Lebanon Start Returning To Syria
6 years, 9 months ago

'I Hope To God We Will Be Safe': Refugees In Lebanon Start Returning To Syria

NPR  

'I Hope To God We Will Be Safe': Refugees In Lebanon Start Returning To Syria Enlarge this image toggle caption Bilal Hussein/AP Bilal Hussein/AP Hala hugged her 10-month-old baby close as she sat in the front seat of the pickup truck piled with the family's few possessions — thin mattresses, blankets, a small suitcase — as she waited to cross …

Will 2018 be the year of return to Syria?
7 years, 1 month ago

Will 2018 be the year of return to Syria?

Al Jazeera  

While many displaced Syrians will likely return to their homes this year, safety and stability is still a long way off. Today, in government buildings across Europe and the Middle East, officials debate policies that would return millions of Syrian refugees to their war-ravaged land. While many Syrians did return home last year, a far greater number fled. Some 66,000 …

Syria conflict: Nearly half a million displaced Syrians return home, says UN report
7 years, 9 months ago

Syria conflict: Nearly half a million displaced Syrians return home, says UN report

Firstpost  

The agency said it had seen “a notable trend of spontaneous returns to and within Syria in 2017.” Geneva: Nearly half a million displaced Syrians have returned to their homes since the beginning of the year, mainly to find family members and check on property, the UN refugee agency said Friday. The agency said it had seen “a notable trend …

The ‘slow-motion slaughter’ of Syrian civilians
8 years ago

The ‘slow-motion slaughter’ of Syrian civilians

Al Jazeera  

Government policies have prevented aid delivery to millions of people in besieged or hard-to-reach areas, report finds. “As the conflict enters its seventh year, Syrian authorities continue to deliberately and illegally manipulate UN humanitarian access, arbitrarily limiting, restricting and denying aid deliveries in order to ensure the continued suffering of besieged populations,” notes the report, released on Tuesday. “By willfully …

Syria war: UN warns ‘the world is watching’ as regime forces evacuate civilians and rebels from Daraya
8 years, 7 months ago

Syria war: UN warns ‘the world is watching’ as regime forces evacuate civilians and rebels from Daraya

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. War in Syria: Intense bombing in Idlib and Daraya …

Report accuses UN of loss of impartiality in Syria
8 years, 9 months ago

Report accuses UN of loss of impartiality in Syria

Al Jazeera  

A report released by rights group The Syria Campaign accuses the United Nations of delivering 99 percent of its aid to government-controlled territories, and calls on the UN to “restore its impartiality”. Entitled Taking Sides: The United Nations’ loss of impartiality, independence and neutrality in Syria, the report documents how from the beginning of the conflict in Syria, the UN …

Syria war: UN aid chief laments ‘massive suffering’
8 years, 11 months ago

Syria war: UN aid chief laments ‘massive suffering’

Al Jazeera  

The United Nation’s aid chief has issued a strongly worded appeal to world powers to revive a shattered ceasefire in Syria and put an end to the “massive human suffering” that has left millions of people facing desolation, death and starvation. While the number of humanitarian convoys crossing borders and fighting lines has increased, O’Brien said “current levels of access …

United Nations hoping to deliver aid to Syria's besieged areas 'within 24 hours'
9 years, 1 month ago

United Nations hoping to deliver aid to Syria's besieged areas 'within 24 hours'

ABC  

The United Nations is hoping to deliver aid to Syria's besieged areas within 24 hours following an agreement between world powers to cease hostilities. Key points: UN hoping to deliver aid to Syria's besieged areas within 24 hours Move comes after world powers agreed to 'cease hostilities' in a week Syria's opposition says rebels on the ground must decide on …

Syria peace talks plunged into new crisis
9 years, 1 month ago

Syria peace talks plunged into new crisis

Al Jazeera  

Diplomatic efforts to end the Syrian conflict have been plunged into a fresh crisis with the UN special envoy announcing a temporary suspension of talks in Geneva between the opposition and the government. We ask the international community to put pressure on the Syrian government and its allies to end the violence in Syria.” Hijab said the opposition expects “the …

Syria most 'disastrous humanitarian situation in the 21st century', UN agencies say
9 years, 2 months ago

Syria most 'disastrous humanitarian situation in the 21st century', UN agencies say

ABC  

Representatives from the United Nation's major agencies in Damascus have labelled Syria as the most "disastrous humanitarian situation in the 21st century". Ahead of expected peace talks this Friday, the chiefs of the UN's humanitarian agencies in Syria demanded all parties end the starving of civilians and stop attacks on schools, homes and hospitals. Head of UNICEF Syria Hanna Singer …

Syrian starvation: Is there any hope left?
9 years, 2 months ago

Syrian starvation: Is there any hope left?

Al Jazeera  

UN World Food Programme says 40,000 Syrians are facing starvation with at least 23 already succumbing to hunger. Syrians living in towns and villages – besieged by government forces and their allies – are facing starvation. Presenter: Richelle Carey Guests: Melissa Fleming – Spokeswoman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Dibeh Fakhr – Public Relations Officer and Spokeswoman …

Syria crisis: The West wrings its hands in horror but it was our folly that helped create this bloodbath
9 years, 5 months ago

Syria crisis: The West wrings its hands in horror but it was our folly that helped create this bloodbath

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. As long ago as August 2012 …

Syria and the collapse of international solidarity
10 years, 3 months ago

Syria and the collapse of international solidarity

Al Jazeera  

While ministers gather for a conference on resettlement of Syrian refugees, civilian children, women and men will meet closed borders as they try to escape Syria’s war. While Syria’s neighbouring countries generously have welcomed more than 3 million Syrian refugees – the rest of us have so far accepted a mere 50,000 Syrians for resettlement, not even two percent of …

Half of Syria’s population needs humanitarian aid: UN
10 years, 9 months ago

Half of Syria’s population needs humanitarian aid: UN

The Hindu  

The humanitarian situation in Syria is worsening and the number of people needing urgent help has reached 10.8 million almost half of Syria’s population of 22 million, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Friday. Mr. Ban’s monthly report to the U.N. Security Council said the current estimate of 3.5 million people living in areas that are difficult or impossible for …

More misery for Syrian refugees as heavy snow hits Middle East
11 years, 3 months ago

More misery for Syrian refugees as heavy snow hits Middle East

ABC  

Parts of the Middle East have been blanketed in heavy snow, piling more misery on millions of Syrian refugees who have fled the country's bitter civil war. The United Nations says it is extremely concerned for more than 2 million Syrian refugees who have fled to Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, and other countries across the region. "Unfortunately, the storm is affecting …

Syrian rebels to discuss military needs as US weighs options
11 years, 9 months ago

Syrian rebels to discuss military needs as US weighs options

The Hindu  

The Syrian opposition was to meet in Istanbul with representatives of Western and Arab countries to assess the rebels’ military needs as the US weighs its options on military support. Louay Mokdad of the rebel Free Syrian Army said on Saturday, “Military chief General Selim Idriss will discuss with the various representatives the needs of the rebels and give an …

UN says it can't feed one million hungry Syrians
12 years, 2 months ago

UN says it can't feed one million hungry Syrians

India TV News  

Geneva,Jan 8: The World Food Program said on Tuesday it is unable to help one million Syrians who are going hungry. Spokeswoman Elisabeth Byrs said that this month, the agency aims to help 1.5 million of the 2.5 million Syrians that the Syrian Arab Red Crescent has identified. The lack of security and the agency's inability to use the Syrian …

With No End To Conflict In Sight, No Winners In Syria
12 years, 6 months ago

With No End To Conflict In Sight, No Winners In Syria

NPR  

With No End To Conflict In Sight, No Winners In Syria Enlarge this image toggle caption Mohammad Hannon/AP Mohammad Hannon/AP The conflict in Syria is now nearly a year and a half old, and there appears to be no end in sight. Assad's Army In Trouble Jeffrey White, a defense analyst at the Washington Institute for Near East policy, says …

Syria military conducts large-scale exercises
12 years, 8 months ago

Syria military conducts large-scale exercises

India TV News  

Damascus, Jul 8: Syria's military began large-scale exercises simulating defense against outside “aggression,” the state-run news agency said Sunday—an apparent warning to other countries not to intervene in the country's crisis. Special U.N. envoy Kofi Annan acknowledged in an interview published Saturday that the international community's efforts to find a political solution to the escalating violence in Syria have failed. …

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