Stephen O’Brien, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, said that after a fierce month-long escalation in the fighting, the recent ceasefire and broader humanitarian access were among emerging reasons for hope. Also briefing were Amir Mahmoud Abdulla, Deputy Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), and Peter Salama, Executive Director of the World Health Organization (WHO) Emergencies Programme.

Presenting the Secretary-General’s report on the implementation of Security Council resolutions 2139 (2014), 2165 (2014), 2191 (2014), 2258 (2015) and 2332 (2016) (document S/2017/58), the Emergency Relief Coordinator recalled that a nationwide ceasefire had gone into effect on 30 December 2016 and reduced the levels and of violence, some breaches notwithstanding. He added that his recent meetings in Helsinki with Syrian non-governmental organizations and the creation of a mechanism to observe the ceasefire were among the reasons for hope.

However, the fighting persisted and the humanitarian situation remained grim, with a number of areas in dire need of assistance, he emphasized, while calling on the Council to ensure that the ceasefire was sustained, that all parties to the conflict protected civilians and that sieges were lifted immediately across the country. The Council must also rally behind efforts by the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy to find a political solution to the conflict, he added.

Briefing on food security, Mr. Abdulla warned that Syria was in danger of becoming a country of subsistence farmers, emphasizing that its wheat harvest was at an all-time low and that fuel shortages and destroyed infrastructure were stymying food production. To date, 7 million people were facing food insecurity, with a further 2 million at risk. Of great concern was the city of Deir ez-Zor, which remained inaccessible since its fall to Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh) in 2014, and where 90,000 civilians were struggling to survive. Meanwhile, humanitarian access remained irregular, hobbling urgently needed deliveries, he continued. There was no humanitarian solution to the crisis, he said, emphasizing that, ultimately, peace and security were the only answers. “A new political commitment to peace is needed so that we can all focus our energy and efforts on the future of Syrian families and helping them rebuild their lives and livelihoods,” he said.

Mr. Salama, speaking via teleconference from Geneva, said the war had also devastated the health system. The impact of six years of war had taken a heavy toll on civilians, as well as on the workers, hospitals and clinics serving them. More than 100 attacks had been carried out against health centres in 2016 alone. Acute shortages, as well as blocked access to health services, were wide-spread, with half of all Syrian children lacking the required vaccinations and more than 300,000 pregnant women unable to obtain the care they needed, he emphasized. As WHO worked with partners to address those needs, it was critical to ensure the safety of those providing such services, he stressed. Current WHO efforts were focused on ensuring secure access to besieged and other hard-to-reach areas, he said, calling for an end to attacks on health workers. Syrian health system must be rebuilt, he said, adding that the international community must do its part by providing strong support for that endeavour.

The representatives of Bolivia and Uruguay delivered statements, expressing hope for a lasting ceasefire and a political solution to end the conflict in Syria.

The meeting began at 10:12 a.m. and ended at 11:02 a.m.

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