UN / SYRIA

“In Suweida, the ceasefire agreed on 19 July has come under strain, but - so far - has prevented a slide back into open conflict,” the UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, told the Security Council. UNIFEED

• Video Length: 00:05:08
• Production Date: 21 August 2025
• Asset Language: Arabic; English
• Personal Subject: GEIR PEDERSEN; THOMAS FLETCHER
• Subject Topical: MIDDLE EAST SITUATION
• Geographic Subject: SYRIA
• MAMS Id: 3439222
• Parent Id: 3438796
• Alternate Title: unifeed250821a

Description

STORY: UN / SYRIA
TRT: 05:08
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / ARABIC / NATS

DATELINE: 21 AUGUST 2025, NEW YORK CITY / FILE

Shotlist

FILE - NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior United Nations Headquarters

21 AUGUST 2025, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, Security Council
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Geir Pedersen, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria:
“In Suweida, the ceasefire agreed on 19 July has come under strain, but—so far—has prevented a slide back into open conflict.”
4. Wide shot, Security Council
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Geir Pedersen, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria:
“That said, we are still seeing dangerous hostilities and skirmishes on the margins of Suweida, and violence could resume at any moment.”
6. Wide shot, Security Council
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Geir Pedersen, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria:
“Tragically, the humanitarian cost of recent violence has only escalated. Over 185,000 people have been displaced across Suweida, Dar’a, and Rural Damascus and beyond. Many are living in precarious conditions, with extensive damage to infrastructure compounding their plight.”
8. Wide shot, Security Council
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Geir Pedersen, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria:
“I am concerned that a month of relative military calm belies a worsening political climate, with escalatory and zero-sum rhetoric hardening among many. Part of this has been fueled by the emergence of further distressing footage of graphic abuses that took place inside Suweida during the escalation. At the same time, the formation of a committee to oversee governance inside Suweida, and some individual appeals for support from external parties, has fueled accusations of separatist intentions.”
10. Wide shot, Security Council
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator:
“This week, our teams have visited As-Suweida city, Salkhad towns, and the western countryside of the governorate. They delivered aid and assessed needs. The overall situation is dire. We need to sustain urgent delivery of food, health, shelter, clean water, fuel, restoration of water and electricity infrastructure, education. In some areas, those arriving now outnumber the existing population. Services are overwhelmed.”
12. Wide shot, Security Council
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator:
“Despite funding and security challenges, the UN and partners are delivering as much life-saving support as we can with the resources we have. In Syria as elsewhere, as we implement the Humanitarian Reset, we are now implementing a hyper-prioritized plan, and we have restructured and streamlined our humanitarian coordination effort in country, including reducing senior roles.”
14. Wide shot, Security Council
15. SOUNDBITE (English) Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator:
“Our humanitarian appeal for 2025 is only fourteen per cent funded – one, four. Aid cuts are projected to lead to staffing cuts of at least 40 per cent across the humanitarian community in Syria, with NGOs hit hardest. Sixteen per cent of health facilities have suspended or reduced capacity due to the cuts.”
16. Wide shot, Security Council
17. SOUNDBITE (English) Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator:
“While we surge humanitarian support, we need investment in longer-term support for development and reconstruction that will allow the people of Syria to reduce and ultimately end reliance on humanitarian aid.”
18. Wide shot, Security Council
19. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Qusay al-Dahhak, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Syrian Arab Republic:
“National efforts continue to face a group of complex challenges that negatively affect Syrian reality, at the forefront of which are the aggressive Israeli policies that violate Syria's sovereignty, carry out incursions into its lands, and perpetrate violations against its people, with the quest to weaken the Syrian state and affect its national unity by attacking it outright, setting the fires of discord, and fanning the flames of existing tensions.”
20. Wide shot, Security Council
21. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Qusay al-Dahhak, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Syrian Arab Republic:
“Syrians have always been and will always rise above any attempt to plant seeds of discord or division. Today, Syrians are deeply committed to their national belonging, and they look towards turning over this leaf of pain and suffering so that they can build a future for their country. Syria, despite the trials and tribulations, will remain united with its people, proud of its diversity, and committed to its sovereignty. It will chart a path towards a bright future that is built by all Syrians and for all Syrians.”
22. Various shots, end of the 9983rd Security Council meeting

Storyline

“In Suweida, the ceasefire agreed on 19 July has come under strain, but—so far—has prevented a slide back into open conflict,” the UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, told the Security Council.

Briefing the Security Council today (Aug 21) he cautioned that “dangerous hostilities and skirmishes” continue on the margins of the governorate, warning that violence could resume. Pedersen said more than 185,000 people have been displaced across Suweida, Dar’a and Rural Damascus, with many living in precarious conditions amid extensive damage to infrastructure.

The envoy also pointed to “a worsening political climate, with escalatory and zero-sum rhetoric hardening among many.” He noted that distressing footage of abuses inside Suweida and the formation of a local governance committee had fueled “accusations of separatist intentions.”

Humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher told the Council that UN teams had visited As-Sweida city, Salkhad, and the western countryside this week, where he described the overall situation as dire. He said services are overwhelmed as new arrivals outnumber host communities.

“Our humanitarian appeal for 2025 is only fourteen per cent funded,” Fletcher said. “Aid cuts are projected to lead to staffing cuts of at least 40 per cent across the humanitarian community in Syria, with NGOs hit hardest. Sixteen per cent of health facilities have suspended or reduced capacity due to the cuts.”

Despite constraints, Fletcher said the UN and partners are delivering as much life-saving support as possible at the moment and urged investment in long-term recovery to reduce reliance on emergency relief.

Syria’s Ambassador Qusay al-Dahhak said national efforts continue to face “aggressive Israeli policies that violate Syria's sovereignty, carry out incursions into its lands, and perpetrate violations against its people.” He added that “Syrians have always been and will always rise above any attempt to plant seeds of discord or division,” stressing that the country would remain united, “proud of its diversity, and committed to its sovereignty.”