Statement by First Deputy Permanent Representative Dmitry Polyanskiy at UNSC briefing on Political and Humanitarian Situation in Syria
We thank Special Envoy for Syria Mr. Geir Pedersen and OCHA director for coordination Mr. Ramesh Rajasingham for their comprehensive reports on the situation in friendly Syria. The difficult situation on the ground is now also being noticeably exacerbated by the risks and threats stemming from the incessant bloodshed in the area of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Another destabilizing factor in this regard is Israel's never-ceasing indiscriminate airstrikes against the territory of Syria, which is a flagrant violation of international law, and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the state. The vicious practice of “targeted eliminations” in neighboring countries by Western Jerusalem in no way can be justified either. Thus, on July 14, two tactical fighters of the Israeli Air Force fired about 10 guided aerial bombs from the airspace above the occupied Golan Heights into the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic. The strikes targeted a residential building in Kafr Sousa neighborhood of Damascus, as well as a number of objects in suburban Dummar. The air raid also targeted the Syrian Arab Army’s positions in the southern province of Deraa. The attack left one soldier killed and three others injured.
Similar lawlessness is being perpetrated by the United States and its allies. Such actions could ignite the already highly charged atmosphere in the region.
From today's statement by the US representative we can see that interference in the affairs of so-called “unwanted” states in attempt to destabilize the situation in them continue to be the deliberate choice made by Washington. The repercussions of this selfish policy is what we are now witnessing with our own eyes in the Middle East and beyond.
Despite the fact that the occupation of Syria was justified by the objectives to counter terrorism, it is regrettable to recognize that ISIS and its affiliated terrorist groups retain significant capabilities in the areas of the illegal military presence of our Western Council colleagues, namely in trans-Euphrates, and around Al-Tanf. Another hotbed of terrorism is the Idlib de-escalation zone, controlled by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) militants, whom Washington is trying to shield from any criticism. In this effort, the USA is openly backed by the United Nations humanitarian agencies, which continue to maintain direct contacts with the militants and are afraid to call things for what they are.
We have consistently maintained that achieving sustainable stabilization in the Syrian Arab Republic is possible only through ending the foreign military presence that violates the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic. We also demand the unconditional cessation of air strikes against the Syrian territory by the Israeli Air Force.
It is not surprising that in the current turbulent conditions we are not seeing progress (which is particularly needed now) on the track of political settlement in Syria according SC resolution 2254. For our part, we steadfastly support the political adjustment process in Syria, led and implemented by the Syrians themselves through UN mediation, as it is the only viable solution to the crisis. We consistently advocate the need to continue direct inter-Syrian dialog, and the Constitutional Committee (CC) has always been and remains the main platform for such dialog. We are also convinced that decisions on the venue for the next rounds of consultations should be taken by the Syrians themselves without external interference, no matter how much someone might like to make that choice for them.
Dear Colleagues,
Against this background, the humanitarian situation in Syria continues to deteriorate and is extremely worrying. Millions of citizens are suffering from the lack of food, medical care and decent sanitation. Things are getting worse due to an extreme heat wave in the region. 13.6 million Syrians have to endure inadequate water supply, and more than 1.8 million people are effectively have no access to clean drinking water. All this naturally results in outbreaks of infectious diseases.
Despite the high-profile pledges made during the 8th Brussels get-together, donor countries are apparently in no hurry to transfer their contributions to help Syrians, condemning civilians to starvation and worsening living conditions due to the collapse of critical infrastructure and the refusal to rebuild it.
There have been accumulated only 21 per cent of the funds required under the UN humanitarian appeal, which is 30 per cent less than the figure of the first half of last year. At the same time, some Western countries do not hesitate to continue plundering and exporting Syrian natural resources, such as oil and grain.
Another example of the outright politicization of the humanitarian file in Syria is the policy of Western countries on refugees repatriation. The aforementioned Brussels conference did nothing but confirmed that the West is pursuing the same policy. Specifically, they allocate limited funds to support Syrians in neighboring countries, which are sufficient only to prevent the influx of migrants to Europe, while blocking their repatriation. At the same time, it is obvious that international assistance programs should be implemented in Syria itself, creating conditions to encourage refugees to return to their home country. This is the scenario advocated by many Syria's neighbors in the region, but it does not fit into self-serving geopolitical plans of the United States and its allies.
In that context, we believe it would be useful to maintain contacts between Damascus and other Arab capitals and to further develop interaction in the interests of finding effective solutions to regional problems. In this regard, we welcome the initiative to hold a meeting of the Arab League Contact Group on Syria in Baghdad to discuss a broad agenda, including issues related to repatriation.
Dear Colleagues,
The Syrian government continues to abide by the imperative of humanity, and “not just in words but in deeds”. Thus, it ensures humanitarian access for the Syrian population, including in non-controlled areas. For example, on July 10, it extended the authorization for the UN agencies to use the “Bab al-Hawa Border Crossing”until mid-January 2025 (through this crossing, the overwhelming majority of UN humanitarian supplies are delivered). Shortly before that, the operation of the Bab Al-Salam and Ar-Rai crossing points was also extended until August 13.
We also welcome the outcome of the parliamentary elections to the People's Assembly of Syria held on July 15. During the elections, more than 8,100 polling stations were operating throughout the country. Citizens wishing to vote were provided with safe humanitarian corridors in northwestern Syria in Idlib province. We consider the elections as a sovereign affair of the Syrian Arab Republic and an important step towards strengthening its internal stability. We believe that it is in the interests of all Syrians to ensure the proper functioning of state institutions on the basis of the country's legislation, especially in the context of the ongoing armed confrontation with terrorists.
In this context, we view the statements by certain colleagues regarding the illegitimacy of the elections as a manifestation of brutal political pressure on Damascus and yet another attempt to interfere in Syria's internal affairs with the view to destabilizing the country. No one has the right to dictate to Syrians when and under what conditions they should elect their country's parliament.
Dear Colleagues,
To conclude I would like to mention one more issue. Not a single serious international expert has any doubt that the main obstacle to comprehensive and adequate humanitarian assistance to Syria today is the politicized policies of the “collective West” aimed at stepping up sanctions pressure and inhibiting early recovery projects.
We commend the report by the Secretariat of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) on the negative impact of unilateral sanctions imposed on Syria. This document effectively undermines and breaks through the information blockade, which our Western colleagues are fighting for tooth and nail. Despite the occasionally vague narration and conclusion that are still timid, the contributors of the report, nevertheless, clearly describe the significant impact of the sanctions on the humanitarian activities of United Nations agencies and the socio-economic situation in that country.
According to surveys conducted by the authors of the report in different parts of Syria, including in territories outside Damascus' control, 92% of Syrians are affected by the US and EU sanctions. Western restrictions have had a major impact on the pharmaceutical industry, medical care, food security, and children's access to quality education. They have also hampered infrastructure reconstruction efforts, not to mention the negative impact on humanitarian efforts “on the ground”. This completely contradicts the narrative of supposedly “carefully calibrated sanctions” and effective humanitarian exemptions that the United States and its allies are trying to promote in the Syrian context, including within the UN Security Council.
We hope that the report would give rise to a series of objective and public assessments by UN representatives regarding the impact of unilateral sanctions on ordinary citizens, whose suffering is only increasing as a result of the illegal restrictions imposed in circumvention of the UN Security Council. I stress that the report leaves no doubt that Western sanctions “hit” first and foremost the most vulnerable groups of the population. Thus, these sanctions epitomize a direct and flagrant violation of the right of states to development, as well as infringement of one of the 2030 Agenda key principles, which states “Leave no one behind”.
In that context, we once again call on the United Nations Secretary-General, Resident Coordinators and country teams to take an impartial approach to fulfilling the mandate entrusted to them under UNGA Resolution 78/135 on monitoring and reporting on unilateral sanctions. We take the aforementioned ESCWA report as a good but still very timid step in this direction.
I thank you for your attention.
