YouSaid · the spoken record

Ging

lines on the record: 117
first: 2014-08-05
most recent: 2018-09-07
sittings or episodes: 10
sources: un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“Secondly, we must ensure the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, including humanitarian and medical personnel and assets, in compliance with the parties' obligations under international humanitarian law. Thirdly, we must respect and enable freedom of movement for people who wish to move in any direction. Additionally, civilians who choose to stay must be allowed to do so and must remain protected. Fourthly, we must allow and facilitate safe, rapid, unhindered and sustained humanitarian access to the people in need through the most direct routes, including to areas that have changed control. Fifthly, there must be increased funding for priority response and readiness activities, given that the humanitarian response is already overstretched.”
2018-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8345 (2018) · source
“Communities and humanitarian responders have been stretched to their limits to support those who arrive, often with nothing. The humanitarian impact on civilians of any increase in fighting will therefore be most severe. And the worst-case scenario in Idlib, where millions would flee fighting, will overwhelm all capacity to respond regardless ofplans or funding made available. It has the potential to create a humanitarian emergency at a scale not yet seen during the crisis. In conclusion, let me highlight five key asks to the Council, and through it to all parties to the conflict and those who have influence over them. First, there must be a cessation of hostilities in the area and, at a minimum, we must ensure that there is no escalation.”
2018-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8345 (2018) · source
“While some donors, including the United Kingdom and Germany, have recently provided additional resources, for which we are most grateful, the amount received falls woefully short of the $311 million that we estimate is required if there is an increase in violence resulting in mass displacement. Simply put, that is funding that we do not currently have, as multiple crises over the past period, in eastern Ghouta, Afrin, southern Syria and Idlib earlier this year, have strained our already limited pool of resources. Civilians in the de-escalation zone have borne the impact of fighting throughout the years of the Syria conflict. Vulnerable populations have displaced to the area from eastern Aleppo, eastern Ghouta, northern rural Homs and southern Syria.”
2018-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8345 (2018) · source
“That includes ready-to-eat food rations sufficient for one week to cover as many as 850,000 people - both through cross-border operations via Turkey and from inside Syria. Additionally, non-food items, shelter, water, sanitation, hygiene and medical supplies are also being positioned. The World Health Organization has dispatched more than 25 tons of supplies to Aleppo in the past month alone. The United Nations has released $20 million from the Tureky humanitarian fund. Approximately $10 million of that allocation is focused on ensuring shelter, and non-food items will be available should an increase in violence force people to be displaced.”
2018-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8345 (2018) · source
“Our teams in Damascus and Gaziantep have together developed a readiness plan that sets out a coordinated, flexible response for the affected population in the coming period. Plans are in place to support up to 900,000 women, children and men who could be affected by conflict, including for up to 700,000 people who may be displaced within Idlib and beyond due to potential hostilities. We also estimate that up to 100,000 people may cross into Government-controlled areas. In addition, if the conflict spreads to the Tal Rifaat area, we estimate that another 100,000 people may seek to move towards other areas in Aleppo governorate or to north-east Syria. Humanitarian aid is already being positioned inside Idlib, as well as in surrounding areas in Aleppo, Latakia and Hama.”
2018-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8345 (2018) · source
“That information was submitted to facilitate the parties' identification of humanitarian facilities, warehouses, offices and sites where humanitarian assistance is being provided to people in need. In their military operations, all parties bear the obligation to take constant care to spare civilians and civilian objects, including humanitarian workers and humanitarian facilities. Any deconflicted sites that are reported to have been targeted must be immediately investigated. The United Nations and non-governmental organizations continue to implement a major humanitarian operation throughout Idlib, with an average of 2 million people reached every month with cross-border assistance from Turkey. Beyond the provision of assistance, efforts are ongoing to ensure that people in need can be supported in the event of an increase in hostilities.”
2018-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8345 (2018) · source
“We also continue to receive reports of improvised explosive devices and other attacks killing and maiming civilians in populated areas throughout Idlib, including humanitarian aid workers. At least three doctors were killed in August alone. As a result ofthe insecurity, schools in western Idlib around Jisr al-Shughour and surrounding communities have been suspended. Key crossing points between Government- and opposition-controlled areas are also reportedly closed, some by the destruction of bridges by non-State armed opposition groups. In addition to restricting freedom of movement for the population, that has also contributed to rising food prices and shortages. At the request of humanitarian organizations, the United Nations has provided deconfliction information for 125 humanitarian sites in Idlib to the military actors.”
2018-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8345 (2018) · source
“While our humanitarian response currently focuses on supporting the 2.1 million people in need, we are concerned for the protection and safety of all civilians living in the area should the hostilities intensify. On 4 September, renewed air and ground-based strikes in western and southern rural Idlib, as well as northern rural Hama, led to civilian casualties and displacement. Heavy bombardment of the Jisr al-Shughour area of western rural Idlib led to some 13 civilian deaths, including at least four children, injuring another 20 civilians. On 6 September, a hospital near Kafr Zita, in northern Hama, was reportedly hit by an air strike, despite the fact that it had been deconflicted.”
2018-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8345 (2018) · source
“Mr. Ging: Last week, during the monthly briefing on the humanitarian situation in Syria (see S/PV.8322), I briefed the Security Council recent developments in Idlib, our current response, the planning under way and preparations should the situation escalate further. Today I will provide an additional update on the situation and on the humanitarian response. As the Special Envoy stated, ofthe nearly 3 million people living in the Idlib de-escalation zone - which includes parts of Idlib, Aleppo, Latakia, and Hama governorates ~ 2.1 million are in need of humanitarian assistance, including 1.4 million people who are internally displaced.”
2018-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8345 (2018) · source
“Humanitarian organizations are doing what they can with the resources available to them to sustain the current response and prepare for a possible further deterioration, thanks in large part to cross- border assistance and the generosity of our financial donors. But a worst-case scenario in Idlib would overwhelm capacities and have the potential to create a humanitarian emergency at a scale not yet seen in this crisis. We therefore call on the members of the Council to do all they can to ensure that we avoid that. In the words of Kofi Annan, "We have the means and the capacity to deal with our problems, if only we can find the political will."”
2018-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8332 (2018) · source
“The Emergency Relief Coordinator is in Damascus today to engage with the Government of Syria on how best to further scale up the collective humanitarian response across Syria and how to ensure that those in greatest need are assisted and protected. His visit coincides with a visit of the High Commissioner for Refugees. The Council's engagement is also critical to ensuring de-escalation in Idlib and surrounding areas; to ensure safe, unimpeded and sustained humanitarian access; and to ensure the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure. Hundreds of thousands of people are already experiencing dire humanitarian conditions in overcrowded sites in which basic services have been stretched to the breaking point for months.”
2018-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8332 (2018) · source
“Returns to eastern Ghouta are reported to have continued, although access to the area remains limited, delaying our efforts to scale up assistance and provide much-needed services in the area, including for returnees. World Humanitarian Day was held on 19 August to pay tribute to aid workers and rally support for people affected by crises around the world. Syria remains among the most dangerous countries in the world for humanitarian workers and health-care providers. Many have been directly targeted in the course of their work or forced to flee their homes. Hundreds have lost their lives. We continue to remind all parties to the fighting in Syria of their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect and respect humanitarian relief personnel.”
2018-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8332 (2018) · source
“In Deir ez-Zor, ongoing fighting in the east of the governorate has continued to impact civilians, with reports of more than 20,000 people having been displaced to makeshift camps between July and the beginning of this month. Many sites hosting new arrivals are not accessible to humanitarian organizations present in the area, and most displaced people are reported to be prevented from leaving the sites, although some have been able to move to other areas to receive medical treatment. The number of people who remain displaced from eastern Ghouta in sites in rural Damascus is reported to have fallen to just below 7,500. The United Nations did not receive authorization to access these sites between mid-June and August. However, the goods news is that visits to some of those locations were possible last week.”
2018-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8332 (2018) · source
“At Rukban, on the Syrian-Jordanian border, the movement of several hundred families out of the camp due to deteriorating living conditions means that the current population is estimated to be approximately 45,000, of whom the vast majority are women and children. The provision of humanitarian assistance in the camp is increasingly urgent, with minimal aid delivered since January. Discussions on a humanitarian convoy to the area continue. Close to 150,000 people are now estimated to have returned to Raqqa city. Unexploded ordnance and improvised explosive devices continue to pose a life-threatening threat to returnees and humanitarian personnel. Alongside the insecurity and resource shortfalls, this is hindering the scaling-up of assistance.”
2018-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8332 (2018) · source
“However, massive levels of humanitarian need persist, and the United Nations continues to provide aid in partnership with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent and other local organizations. Food assistance has now been provided to more than 390,000 people, as have water and sanitation, education, shelter assistance and protection services. Two ad hoc inter-agency convoys delivered hygiene kits, nutrition supplies and sanitary and household items for a total of 40,000 people in Dara'a's Al-Balad and Busra Al-Sham on 9 and 16 August, respectively. As efforts to scale up protection and basic services continue and more detailed needs assessments are also under way, sustained and expanded humanitarian access across the south-west will, be critical. The humanitarian situation remains complex and challenging in other parts of the country.”
2018-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8332 (2018) · source
“The plan is intended to guide a flexible response over a six-month period, complementing assistance mobilized from inside Syria. With an estimated 2.1 million people already in need in areas under non-State armed group control covered by the readiness plan, with humanitarian workers likely to be among the displaced and with many organizations facing increasing funding shortfalls, the efforts of the Council to avoid a further escalation of violence and an ensuing humanitarian catastrophe are critical. Turning to the situation in the south-west, the Government of Syria has now regained control over the vast majority of Dara'a, Quneitra and Al-Suwayda governorates. Large-scale return of internally displaced people has already taken place, and fewer than 60,000 people are now estimated to remain displaced across the three governorates.”
2018-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8332 (2018) · source
“In that instance, no casualties or damage to the hospital were reported. School activities were also suspended in several areas owing to hostilities. Humanitarian organizations are responding to needs across the north-west while drawing on cross- border assistance deliveries, which continue to provide a critical lifeline for hundreds of thousands of civilians who cannot be reached through other means. Some 680,000 people received food delivered from Turkey during the month of July alone, while 254,000 people received health assistance during the same period. Alongside the ongoing response and prepositioning of aid, humanitarian partners are finalizing a comprehensive readiness plan for people in areas of the north-west being reached by cross-border humanitarian organizations.”
2018-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8332 (2018) · source
“On 10 August, there were air strikes on the town of Oram Al-Kubra, in western Aleppo, which were reported to have killed 41 civilians and wounded more than 70. On the same day, bombs were dropped on Alteh and Khan Shaykhun, in southern Idlib, killing 12 civilians and wounding dozens of others. On 12 August, 67 people were reportedly killed and 37 were injured, including many women and children, when a weapons depot in a residential building exploded near Sarmada, in rural Idlib. Over the same period, the United Nations Children's Fund reported that three health facilities it had been supporting were attacked, rendering two of those facilities out of service. Separately, an unconfirmed report was received of a projectile striking the grounds ofa hospital in Al-Ma'arra which had been deconflicted according to agreed procedures.”
2018-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8332 (2018) · source
“Mr. Ging: Last month, the Emergency Relief Coordinator informed the Security Council (see S/PV.8320) of the dramatic increase in the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance in Aleppo and Idlib governorates since the beginning of the year. Recent weeks have seen a further serious deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the north-west, with intense aerial bombardment and shelling reported in parts of Idlib, Aleppo, Hama and Latakia governorates, resulting in the death and injury of civilians and damage to, and the destruction of, civilian infrastructure, including schools and hospitals, thereby placing even more strain on humanitarian responders and vulnerable host communities.”
2018-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8332 (2018) · source
“Finally, all parties must seize the current opportunity for dialogue and work with the Special Envoy to achieve a lasting political settlement and sustainable peace. Humanitarian assistance - however effective and large-scale - cannot mitigate the destructive effect of conflict on every facet of daily life. The Yemeni people have suffered too much for too long. An end to this conflict is long overdue.”
2018-08-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8323 (2018) · source
“In addition, in Sa'ada, a water facility was hit for the third time in July, depriving over 10,000 people access to water. Last week, air strikes in Al-Hudaydah hit sites very close to humanitarian premises, causing structural damage. In a separate incident, air strikes landed less than 500 metres from United Nations premises. All parties must respect international humanitarian law, including the obligation to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, and to take all feasible precautions to avoid and minimize incidental harm. We also call on the parties not to use civilian sites for military purposes and to allow civilians to leave conflict-affected areas safely and voluntarily.”
2018-08-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8323 (2018) · source
“These include delays in movements, detention of staff and supplies, attempts to influence the selection of beneficiaries and implementing partners, and other harassment. The Yemen humanitarian country team is doing a tireless and commendable job to engage decision-makers at all levels to ensure that aid is safely delivered to the people who need it across the country. However, more support is needed to overcome those obstacles to humanitarian access, including bureaucratic impediments. The toll of this conflict on civilians and civilian infrastructure is devastating. Incidents in which civilians are killed or injured continue to be reported with alarming regularity. I have already mentioned several recent incidents, including today's, that damaged critical civilian infrastructure in Al-Hudaydah and their consequences.”
2018-08-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8323 (2018) · source
“The humanitarian response plan, which has been recently sequenced to show first-line, second- line and full-response activities, has received more than 60 per cent ofthe required $3 billion. A large part ofthat funding came early in the year through a $930 million unearmarked contribution from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Additionally, the United States, Kuwait, the United Kingdom and Germany are among the most generous donors this year. Notwithstanding the continuous scaling up of humanitarian operations, serious obstacles persist. Inside Yemen, humanitarian personnel face numerous restrictions, particularly in areas controlled by decision-makers in Sana'a.”
2018-08-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8323 (2018) · source
“As of mid-year, about 60 per cent of the people whom we are targeting with assistance had been reached, and humanitarian partners continue to work tirelessly to expand their programmes further. Partnerships have played a very important role in this expansion. This year, 169 front-line partners - United Nations agencies and international non-governmental organizations and Yemeni non-governmental organizations - are working together to reach millions of people every month. Assistance is coordinated through hubs in Aden, Al-Hudaydah, Ibb, Sa'ada and Sana'a. A sixth hub will open soon in Mukalla. Generous and flexible funding has also been key to this scale up.”
2018-08-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8323 (2018) · source
“Programmes also continue in Al-Hudaydah to provide medicines, equipment and staff to health facilities, maintain water and sanitation infrastructure, and truck water to displaced people who cannot access piped networks. In addition to efforts in Al-Hudaydah, regular humanitarian programmes have expanded significantly across the country. They are working in difficult and dangerous conditions. In June, the international humanitarian effort provided emergency food assistance to 7.5 million people - an increase of 200,000 people since January. It also provided water, sanitation and hygiene services that benefited 6.3 million people - a 60 per cent increase since January. Similar increases have taken place in other sectors.”
2018-08-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8323 (2018) · source
“While keeping all ports open is critical, we are equally concerned about maintaining adequate quantities of affordable imports through these ports. To do so, the conditions must be created whereby shipping companies have enough commercial confidence to continue supplying them. As conflict has escalated in Al-Hudaydah, humanitarian workers have stayed and delivered, and we thank the Special Envoy for his recognition of this fact. About 90 per cent of people displaced by recent violence have in fact received emergency relief packages. These packages contain food, hygiene supplies and other items intended to preserve dignity. Within this, humanitarian partners are also providing additional assistance to the most vulnerable, including food rations, cash, basic household items and shelter supplies.”
2018-08-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8323 (2018) · source
“Last week, air strikes hit water facilities in Al-Hudaydah city and sanitation facilities south of the city. Water and sanitation lines have also been damaged in Al-Hudaydah as forces in the city dig trenches. As we all know, damage to health, water and sanitation infrastructure significantly increases the risks of the spread of cholera. Al-Hudaydah and nearby Saleef are the lifeline for the majority ofimports of the essential commodities of food and fuel needed by millions of Yemenis every day to survive. I am pleased to update the Security Council that these ports remain open and operational. In fact, commercial food imports in May rose to their highest levels since November 2016 and fully met requirements. However, food and fuel imports fell in June and again in July.”
2018-08-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8323 (2018) · source
“Sustained hostilities in Al-Hudaydah city, interruptions to port operations or a siege of the city would be catastrophic and must be avoided. There is no contingency plan that can effectively protect civilians from dire humanitarian consequences if conflict in Al-Hudaydah escalates, as the capacity of international organizations and their response will quickly be overwhelmed. In addition, it is important to recall that Al-Hudaydah was the epicentre of last year's devastating cholera outbreak, and cholera infections in the city are currently rising. It is therefore essential to bear this in mind when considering incidents like the one reported today, which affect public hospitals where humanitarian partners are treating cholera patients.”
2018-08-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8323 (2018) · source
“In my briefing today I will focus on the humanitarian situation in Al-Hudaydah, the expansion of humanitarian operations across the country, obstacles that humanitarian workers are facing and the impact of the conflict on civilians. Conflict in Al-Hudaydah governorate has escalated significantly. Earlier today, we received reports that attacks occurred around the entrance to one of the few functioning public hospitals in Al-Hudaydah and an adjacent fish market, causing civilian casualties. Since 1 June, violence has forced more than 340,000 people from their homes across the governorate. Most are taking shelter in host communities near their areas of origin, while smaller numbers have arrived in Sana'a, Aden and surrounding areas.”
2018-08-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8323 (2018) · source
“Mr. Ging: More than three years have elapsed since the beginning ofthis conflict, and throughout this time civilians in Yemen have been facing and bearing the deplorable consequences of the conflict. We have heard the statistics many times. More than 22 million people - 75 per cent ofthe population, in fact - require humanitarian assistance and protection. Three years of conflict have left 2 million people displaced from their homes; 8.4 million people do not know where their next meal is coming from; and the worst cholera outbreak in the world occurred in the country last year, with 1.1 million cases. The humanitarian situation is indeed shocking both in scale and severity, and these figures represent an urgent call to action.”
2018-08-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8323 (2018) · source
“As long as people remain inaccessible from within Syria, which remains the case today, cross-border humanitarian deliveries continue to be the indispensable lifeline for those millions of Syrians dependent on humanitarian assistance to survive.”
2018-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8296 (2018) · source
“While geographical space for operations has shrunk as areas in the south-east of Idlib have transitioned in control, the size of the population being supported by United Nations cross-border operations has actually increased and the needs of people have become even more acute. For example, in 2014, when resolution 2165 (2014) was adopted, Idlib's population was estimated at 1.9 million. Today it stands at 2.5 million, with half of that number representing displaced people. Resolution 2165 (2014) was adopted out of a dire humanitarian need and imperative, with millions of people in need of assistance who were inaccessible from within Syria.”
2018-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8296 (2018) · source
“From July 2014 to April of this year, a net total of 3.7 million people received food assistance, many of them on a monthly basis; 4.7 million people received sanitation and hygiene assistance; education supplies were delivered to 946,000 people; and nutrition assistance was provided to 611,000 people. Some 21.1 million medical treatments and procedures were conducted in 82 hospitals and 70 mobile clinics, which are operational and supported by medical supplies provided by the United Nations and its humanitarian partners through cross-border operations. The year 2018 has seen a rapid evolution of the conflict, with shifts in control of territory, mass movements of people and nearly an additional 1 million people displaced.”
2018-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8296 (2018) · source
“We must all ensure that none of our deconflicted sites is hit or damaged unlawfully. Late last year, the Council requested the Secretary- General to conduct a written review of United Nations humanitarian cross-border operations. A report (S/2018/617) was issued this past week. I will not go through all of its details and findings, but will make a few points on the impact of our cross-border operations on the people in need in Syria. As the Council knows, nearly 5 million people are in need in areas that are more accessible via cross- border operations than from within Syria. Of those, 2.67 million people are in areas solely accessible via cross-border operations. Those are people without access to assistance from within Syria.”
2018-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8296 (2018) · source
“Syria now accounts for nearly 70 per cent of all reported attacks on health-care facilities documented by the World Health Organization worldwide. According to WHO, it is "the deadliest place in the world for health workers". Let me highlight our efforts to prevent such attacks from occurring. Since March, the United Nations has deconflicted more than 500 humanitarian premises and sites with the Russian Federation, the United States-led coalition against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, and Turkey. Those sites were deconflicted in an effort to prevent them from being targeted by mistake or incidentally. Yet four ofthose deconflicted sites - all of them health facilities - were hit, in eastern Ghouta and northern rural Horns on 20 March, 6 April and 29 April. That is four too many.”
2018-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8296 (2018) · source
“Yesterday multisectoral assistance was delivered to 107,500 people in Al-Rastan, in northern rural Homs. Initially United Nations personnel were not authorized to accompany that convoy. However, following intense negotiations, including with the help of the Russian Federation, the Syrian authorities amended their decision to allow a United Nations presence, as well as the delivery of all medical and health items. The World Health Organization (WHO) has documented reports of nearly 700 attacks on health facilities in Syria since early 2014, with 112 confirmed attacks already this year. We are now at par with the number of attacks registered for all of last year. That is more than 16 per month 4 one attack every other day, on average.”
2018-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8296 (2018) · source
“A SARC convoy delivered United Nations assistance including, wheat flour for 60,000 people and food for 45,000 people, in Douma on 10 June. United Nations personnel were not permitted to accompany the convoy or conduct a needs assessment, despite the convoy being implemented under the agreed bimonthly inter-agency convoy plan. Moreover, two inter-agency convoys were deployed in May, namely, to the hard-to-reach locations of Talbiseh, in northern rural Horns, and Tlul Elhomor, in southern Hamah. As was the case for the convoy to Douma, United Nations personnel were not permitted to participate in the two convoys. The Syrian Arab Red Crescent delivered the United Nations multisectoral assistance for 92,750 people in Talbiseh, as well as food assistance for 12,000 in nearby Al-Jabriya village.”
2018-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8296 (2018) · source
“In Tell Rifaat and the surrounding areas, the United Nations continues to provide humanitarian assistance to the displaced populations mainly from its warehouses in Aleppo. However, additional assistance and services are required, particularly for the people in the rural areas and the internally displaced persons sites. In eastern Ghouta, close to 16,000 people are reported to have moved back as of early June. Estimates indicate that there are currently 125,000 people living inside the enclave. The United Nations has largely been unable to access eastern Ghouta since the change in control in March. A Visit to Saqba and Kafr Batna took place on 14 May, but a full assessment of needs is yet to be authorized by the Government of Syria. Assistance is being provided through the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) and other local partners.”
2018-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8296 (2018) · source
“The humanitarian access situation in Afrin district continues to improve, and while Turkey and the Turkish authorities provide the majority of the response in those areas, the United Nations - through its cross- border humanitarian partners * is also contributing to life-saving services and activities in the district. Based on a recent multisectoral rapid assessment conducted by humanitarian partners in May, needs are considered to remain very high, with most health facilities in rural areas closed, many service providers having fled the area and a large proportion of schools, markets and bakeries not yet functional, owing again to the presence of explosive remnants of war and the continued absence of staff, workers and tradespeople.”
2018-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8296 (2018) · source
“The United Nations and its implementing partners continue to provide humanitarian assistance to those in Raqqa city and throughout Raqqa governorate, reaching nearly 300,000 people every month. Further to the west, 136,000 individuals are estimated to remain in Afrin district, including over 40,000 people in Afrin city. Another 134,000 individuals from Afrin district remain displaced in the Tell Rifaat subdistrict, Nubul and Zahra towns and the surrounding communities. Some limited return movements to Afrin district took place in May when some 3,000 to 5,000 individuals reportedly returned to that district.”
2018-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8296 (2018) · source
“There has been a reduction in the average number of blast-related casualties reported by health facilities from over 170 per month in November and December 2017, to an estimated 43 in April. That is the most recent data that we have. Access to basic services within Raqqa city continues to gradually improve with hospitals reopening and electricity re-established in rural areas to the north of the city, as well as other infrastructure sites. The rehabilitation of the water network within Raqqa city continues at too slow a pace. Only 50 per cent of the city is reportedly receiving water through the network, and it is often in insufficient quantities. In neighbourhoods that do have access, the water network supply is often intermittent with concerns about poor water quality contributing to health risks.”
2018-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8296 (2018) · source
“In addition, a number of abductions for ransom of medical and health professionals was reported in June, which led local authorities to suspend non-emergency activities for several days. In Raqqa city, the United Nations Department of Safety and Security and the United Nations Mine Action Service conducted an assessment mission on 13 and 14 June. While the United Nations remains concerned that contamination of explosive hazards makes the city unsafe for returns, an estimated 138,000 people have already returned to the city since the withdrawal of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant in October 2017. Most returnees have settled in areas with comparatively less infrastructure and less explosive hazard contamination.”
2018-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8296 (2018) · source
“This is linked to the massive new displacements since late last year. More than half a million people have been displaced to and within Idlib in these past six months, whether from eastern Ghouta, northern rural Homs, Yarmouk or other parts of Idlib itself. There is a growing concern around military escalation with 60 people reportedly killed by air strikes between 7 and 10 June alone, and armed clashes in the vicinity of the two most recently besieged communities in Syria, namely, Fo'ah and Kefraya. Moreover, improvised explosives have been detonating regularly throughout the area, with over 20 incidents reported in May and two recent incidents in Idlib city itself on 21 June, killing eight people and wounding another 40.”
2018-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8296 (2018) · source
“Any further escalation will significantly increase the number of displacements and jeopardize the United Nations capacity to conduct further humanitarian operations. Today, the United Nations cross-border convoy, for example, had to be postponed owing to the bombardments that took place within kilometres of the Jordanian border. I recall in that regard the Secretary-General's own statement last week, underscoring "the fragile situation of civilians in southern Syria" and calling "for an immediate end to the current military escalation". I also call on all stakeholders to ensure that cross-border humanitarian deliveries continue in a sustained, safe and unimpeded manner to reach all those in need, including the newly displaced people. In north-west Syria, particularly in Idlib, the humanitarian situation is increasingly dire.”
2018-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8296 (2018) · source
“In addition, Naseeb hospital declared the suspension of its services and the Dar'a Education Directorate announced the adjournment of all classes and examinations. Some 100,000 people in Dar'a city and surrounding villages have been impacted by a complete electricity blackout, which occurred yesterday when Government forces launched an assault on the divided southern city. Despite the hostilities, the United Nations and its partners continue to provide food, health care, nutrition, education and core relief items to more than 400,000 people in need in southern Syria from across the border in Jordan. Humanitarian partners supporting cross-border operations have been actively planning for such an escalation since the first quarter of the year and supplies are prepositioned in Dar'a and Quneitra governorates.”
2018-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8296 (2018) · source
“Dozens of civilians have reportedly been killed, including children, and many more have been injured. Attacks have also hit civilian infrastructure causing widespread damage, including an air strike yesterday that rendered a hospital supported by Me'decins Sans Frontieres (MSF) in Al-Hirak city inoperable. According to MSF, that hospital supported 90,000 people and provided more than 15,700 emergency room consultations in the past year alone. Another hospital in eastern Ghariyeh had to suspend operations owing to insecurity. In eastern Maliha, the local health centre and local council building were also both rendered inoperable. This morning media reports announced that air strikes struck yet another health facility - this time in the town of Jizeh, east of Dar'a city.”
2018-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8296 (2018) · source
“Mr. Ging: Today I will provide the Council with an update on behalf of the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mr. Mark Lowcock. I would like to start with the alarming developments in southern Syria where Violence has escalated sharply last week and heavy artillery and aerial shelling is under way. To date, an estimated 45,000 to 50,000 people have been displaced owing to this fighting, most from eastern Dar'a governorate to areas near the Jordanian border. A number of villages either impacted or fearful of the proximity of the fighting have been almost totally abandoned. According to the World Food Programme, "the number of displaced people could nearly double if violence continues to escalate".”
2018-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8296 (2018) · source
“There are many such examples on all sides of the conflict. I call on all parties to uphold their obligations and responsibilities under international humanitarian law and international human rights law. Likewise, I urge Member States to take all possible steps to ensure that the parties to the conflict comply with the law and to support accountability for violations.”
2018-02-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8191 (2018) · source
“The United Nations and its partners cannot replace the public sector and, While some salaries have reportedly been paid in the south, regular salary payments must quickly resume across the country. Finally, it remains important to emphasize that protection concerns remain at the centre of the response. As mentioned, conflict has recently escalated, putting civilians at even greater risk. All parties to the conflict are obliged to take constant care to spare civilians and civilian infrastructure in military operations. Yet we continue to see civilian harm. Houthi-affiliated forces continue to shell populated areas, often resulting in civilian casualties. On 26 December, a Coalition air strike on a market in Taizz killed at least 60 civilians, including eight children, and wounded 32, including six children.”
2018-02-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8191 (2018) · source
“For that to happen, Hudaydah and Saleef ports must remain open without time limits or other restrictions that may discourage commercial shipping companies from serving them. The last major issue where we had hoped to see immediate progress relates to civil servant salary payments. Since August 2016, 1.2 million public employees and their families, or one quarter of the entire population, have not received regular salaries. Non-payment of salaries, including for approximately 30,000 health workers and 193,000 teachers, has accelerated the decline in public services, as workers seek alternative livelihoods. That has left families struggling to make ends meet. The resulting collapse in basic services has become a major driver of the humanitarian crisis.”
2018-02-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8191 (2018) · source