At Security Council, OCHA urges decisive global action to help Syrians build peaceful future
UNOCHA - United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Briefing to the Security Council on the humanitarian situation in Syria by Ms. Lisa Doughten, Director, Financing and Outreach Division, OCHA, on behalf of Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator
As delivered
Thank you, Mr. President.
As Deputy Special Envoy Rochdi has just set out, Syria continues to navigate a daunting set of challenges as it seizes the opportunity for a more peaceful and prosperous future. And we welcome the continued interest and engagement from the international community in helping Syria achieve this.
The stakes are immense, particularly for the more than 16 million people across the country who need humanitarian assistance.
Mr. President,
Localized insecurity and climatic shocks continue to exacerbate needs.
In southern Syria, the ceasefire is holding, thankfully, though sporadic incidents are still reported. Over 180,000 people remain displaced in As-Sweida and neighbouring governorates.
Syrian authorities are pursuing efforts to rehabilitate infrastructure and restore the supply of electricity and other services, but major gaps persist.
Commercial supplies remain far below what is needed, driving up prices. Fuel shortages continue to impact health facilities and other critical services. Dozens of schools remain damaged.
We continue to prioritize the response in As-Sweida and neighbouring governorates, working with Syrian authorities and affected communities to provide assistance and basic services. We have reached 357,000 people per month, sending over 1,300 aid trucks and working with a range of partners, including 25 national NGOs.
Further north, the main road linking Homs and Raqqa continues to experience intermittent closures. OCHA, in close coordination with Syrian authorities, is actively facilitating the movement of humanitarian assistance through this corridor
Meanwhile, explosive remnants of war continue to endanger people across the country. Last week alone, six people - including a child - were killed and 11 more were injured across six governorates. Since December last year, unexploded ordnance has killed more than 570 people and injured another 960. Most incidents have taken place in agricultural land, further disrupting livelihoods.
And historic drought-like conditions continue to impact water availability and agricultural production, putting further pressure on already-high levels of food insecurity.
Mr. President,
Despite the enormous needs, this remains a hopeful time for millions of Syrians, as reflected in the growing number of people choosing to return to their homes.
More than 1.2 million refugees have now returned from neighbouring countries since last December. More than 1.9 million people who were displaced internally have also returned.
But these people still need support to reestablish their lives, including - in the immediate term - humanitarian aid.
In interviews with UNHCR, 70 per cent of returning refugees say they face food shortages. Most report homes that have been damaged or destroyed, and most lack viable opportunities to generate income. Many still need civil documentation to help re-establish their lives.
Widespread property damage is concerning as winter approaches, with many families forced to stay in partially destroyed homes or temporary shelters.
As people return, more than 400 camps and other sites hosting displaced people in northern Syria have been closed, another marker of progress. But more than 1.2 million people - three quarters of them women and children - continue to shelter in such sites.
Mr. President,
The UN and our partners continue to reach 3.4 million people on average each month across Syria - 24 per cent more than the same period last year - despite lower funding, thanks to improved access and operational conditions.
Across the country, we are working to advance projects that support recovery, in collaboration with national and local authorities.
With support from the OCHA-managed Syria Humanitarian Fund, UNICEF worked with ICRC, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent and the water authorities in Aleppo to rehabilitate the Ain Al-Baida water station, which now provides clean water for 250,000 people.
We are also working with relevant ministries and other partners to vaccinate children, expand nutrition services, strengthen national preparedness, and conduct a first nationwide multi-sector needs assessment.
In addition, we continue to bring in substantial assistance from Türkiye, with over 3,170 trucks using this route so far this year. We are working with our partners and authorities in Syria and Türkiye to transition to standard commercial-based arrangements for this route - another indicator of progress in the normalization of Syria's operating environment.
Mr. President,
In Syria today, we have the opportunity to get much more aid to those who need it. We also see a viable path towards the recovery and development support that would reduce reliance on emergency assistance.
But we need three key things from the international community:
First, continued engagement to de-escalate ongoing flashpoints and prevent new violence.
This is critical, in the first instance, to deliver on the promise of improved safety and protection - especially for children, women and other vulnerable groups.
According to the most recent Report of the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict in Syria, over 3,200 children were subject to grave violations in Syria between October 2022 and December 2024.
The current moment has brought increased optimism, including renewed commitments by the Syrian authorities. But sustained peace is needed to consolidate these gains and to let displaced children return to their homes.
This includes some 25,000 children who remain in Al-Hol and other camps due to alleged family ties to ISIL, and where, according to a new report from UN Women, sexual and gender-based violence, mental health and other challenges are rampant.
Second, we need more funding for humanitarian operations.
With just over a month left in the year, our Syria appeal is only 26 per cent funded, leading to continued gaps and reductions in critical assistance.
Our partners are currently seeking to assist 2 million vulnerable people with winter supplies, including heating fuel and stoves, winter clothing, blankets and other household items. But just 12 per cent of the funding has been mobilized.
In recent months, according to WHO, more than 360 health facilities have suspended or reduced services due to funding cuts, affecting more than 7 million people.
Third, we need concrete, targeted and large-scale investment in development and reconstruction.
The people of Syria do not want to rely on emergency aid. Reconstruction needs are enormous, but recent developments provide a path forward - including continued steps to ease sanctions and sustained interest from partners in the region and beyond to invest in Syria.
But this requires concrete and sustained attention to unlock resources, including from the private sector, development investments and climate finance.
The international community must act decisively to translate this opportunity into concrete support.
Thank you, Mr. President.
Posted on 19 November 2025
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