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STORY: UN / SYRIA
TRT: 04:14
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / ARABIC / NATS
DATELINE: 27 FEBRUARY 2024, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE – NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, exterior, United Nations Headquarters
27 FEBRUARY 2024, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, Security Council
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Geir Pedersen, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria, United Nations:
“This month, we have seen further spillover effects from regional conflict. Multiple airstrikes attributed to Israel, including on residential areas of Homs and Damascus, reportedly resulted in both civilian and military casualties.”
4. Med shot, Syrian Permanent representative, delegates
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Geir Pedersen, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria, United Nations:
“Meanwhile, all other vectors of the Syrian conflict itself continue, and remain the biggest cause of civilian casualties and displacement.”
6. Med shot, Emergency Relief Coordinator, delegates
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Geir Pedersen, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria, United Nations:
“Plainly the tensions in the region need to be urgently de-escalated, starting with the immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza that the Secretary General has called for. And, Madame President, we equally plainly need urgent de-escalation inside Syria, building on existing ceasefire arrangements, towards a nationwide ceasefire in line with resolution 2254.”
8. Wide shot, Security Council
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Geir Pedersen, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria, United Nations:
“A year after the devastating earthquakes in Syria and Turkiye that killed thousands and displaced millions, Syria’s humanitarian crisis has only deepened. On the one hand, we have received some good news, with the Syrian Government’s recent extension of its authorization for the UN to use the Bab al-Hawa, Bab al-Salam and Al-Ra'ee border crossings.”
10. Wide shot, Security Council
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Geir Pedersen, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria, United Nations:
“I know very well that international attention is focused on multiple other crises. But there might also be a sense in some quarters that the conflict is easier to just manage and far too difficult to solve. Such thinking is mistaken.”
12. Wide shot, Security Council
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Geir Pedersen, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria, United Nations:
“Regional spillover is only the latest accelerant to a conflict that is growing in complexity with each passing year. The situation is worsening on almost all indicators and the status quo is unsustainable and unmanageable.”
14. Wide shot, Security Council
15. SOUNDBITE (English) Martin Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, United Nations / Emergency Relief Coordinator, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA):
“A staggering 16.7 million people now require humanitarian assistance – nearly three-quarters of the population and the highest number of people in need since the start of the crisis.”
16. Med shot, Emergency Relief Coordinator, delegates
17. SOUNDBITE (English) Martin Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, United Nations / Emergency Relief Coordinator, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA):
“Across Syria, the ongoing hostilities, the decline in essential services, prolonged water shortages, and a dire economic situation are all serving to increase people’s reliance on sparce and scarce humanitarian aid. Access challenges, including daily security incidents, are constraining our ability to safely deliver essential assistance and to directly engage with affected populations.”
18. Med shot, Emergency Relief Coordinator, delegates
19. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Koussay al Dahhak, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Syrian Arab Republic:
“Syria believes that constructive dialogues is the foundation of international relations. It believes that building friendly relations among states depends on the full respect of sovereignty, territorial integrity and not interference in their internal affairs. Therefore, Syria extends its hand to those who wants good for Syria and for the Syrians. Syria will spear no effort to secure security and stability to all area to end the suffering of its people and toward development.”
20. Med shot, Security Council
The UN Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria, Geir Pedersen, said that the tensions in the region need to be urgently de-escalated, “starting with the immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza” and that “we equally plainly need urgent de-escalation inside Syria.”
Briefing the Security Council today (27 Feb) on the situation in Syria, Pedersen noted, “This month, we have seen further spillover effects from regional conflict. Multiple airstrikes attributed to Israel, including on residential areas of Homs and Damascus, reportedly resulted in both civilian and military casualties.”
He added, “Meanwhile, all other vectors of the Syrian conflict itself continue, and remain the biggest cause of civilian casualties and displacement.”
He continued, “A year after the devastating earthquakes in Syria and Turkiye that killed thousands and displaced millions, Syria’s humanitarian crisis has only deepened.”
On a good note, he reported the Syrian Government’s recent extension of its authorization for the UN to use the Bab al-Hawa (until 13 July 2024), Bab al-Salam and Al-Ra'ee (until 13 May 2024) border crossings.”
Pedersen stated, “I know very well that international attention is focused on multiple other crises. But there might also be a sense in some quarters that the conflict is easier to just manage and far too difficult to solve. Such thinking is mistaken.”
He concluded, “Regional spillover is only the latest accelerant to a conflict that is growing in complexity with each passing year. The situation is worsening on almost all indicators and the status quo is unsustainable and unmanageable.”
Also addressing the Security Council, Martin Griffiths, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, United Nations and Emergency Relief Coordinator said, “A staggering 16.7 million people now require humanitarian assistance – nearly three-quarters of the population and the highest number of people in need since the start of the crisis.”
He also said “Across Syria, the ongoing hostilities, the decline in essential services, prolonged water shortages, and a dire economic situation are all serving to increase people’s reliance on sparce and scarce humanitarian aid. Access challenges, including daily security incidents, are constraining our ability to safely deliver essential assistance and to directly engage with affected populations.”
Koussay al Dahhak, Syrian Permanent Representative to the United Nations, said that his country “believes that constructive dialogues is the foundation of international relations. It believes that building friendly relations among states depends on the full respect of sovereignty, territorial integrity and not interference in their internal affairs. Therefore, Syria extends its hand to those who wants good for Syria and for the Syrians. Syria will spear no effort to secure security and stability to all area to end the suffering of its people and toward development.”
