YouSaid · the spoken record

Lowcock

lines on the record: 570
first: 2017-09-27
most recent: 2021-06-15
sittings or episodes: 46
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

“OHCHR has also verified that 31 civilians have been killed by improvised explosive devices or explosive remnants of war since the beginning of October. About 200,000 people left the border areas between Turkey and Syria in the early phases of hostilities, mostly heading south. Most of them have now returned, but more than 70,000 remain displaced. Civilian infrastructure has also been affected. The WorldHealth Organizationhasreportedthatfive medical facilities have been affected by fighting. The Allouk water station, which provides water services to 460,000 people in Al-Hasakah, has been repeatedly put out of service due to hostilities. The Government of Turkey has responded to requests to support humanitarian operations.”
2019-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8664 (2019) · source
“In that context, the internal United Nations Headquarters board of inquiry established by the Secretary-General has begun its work to investigate a series of incidents that have occurred in north-west Syria since September 2018. I would remind the Council of the Secretary-General's request that all relevant parties extend their support to the board in the conduct of its duties. Thirdly, I continue to follow developments in north- east Syria very closely. Hostilities have decreased since the agreements were reached on 17 and 22 October, but clashes continue in border areas, particularly around the Ras Al-Ayn and Tel Abyad districts. OHCHR has verified reports that 49 civilians have been killed by a combination of air strikes, ground-based strikes, sniper fire and executions carried out by armed groups.”
2019-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8664 (2019) · source
“More broadly, we are seeing that civilian infrastructure is being dismantled and sold in areas under Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham control, including water and electrical infrastructure, as well as rail lines. Removing civilian infrastructure affects basic services now, but will also make any future recovery all the more difficult. More than halfofthe people in Idlib have had to move from other parts of the country. Hundreds of thousands are living in camps and informal shelters close to the border with Turkey. There is little space left to absorb additional displacement. The onset of winter - with the rain, the cold and the mud it brings - compounds the dire humanitarian situation.”
2019-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8664 (2019) · source
“In the past two days, there have been reports of over 100 air strikes in Idlib and surrounding areas. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights reports that four separate health facilities were damaged on 4 and 6 November, including the Kafr Nabl hospital. An increase in shelling out ofthe area has also been reported. Not only do civilians in those areas have to endure the impact of hostilities, but continue to suffer under the presence of Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, a United Nations- listed terrorist organization. We are following with concern the situation for civilians in Kafr Takharim, where civilians were besieged and shelled following protests against Hayat Tahrir Al- Sham. Reports indicate that civilians have been killed.”
2019-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8664 (2019) · source
“Despite the administrative and security challenges we continue to face from within Syria, the United Nations conducted more than 5,500 missions between January and September to assess needs, deliver aid and monitor the impact of our work. In addition to the United Nations coordinated humanitarian response in Government-controlled areas, we are regularly made aware of bilateral humanitarian assistance from Member States, including the Russian Federation. Secondly, I remain very concerned about the situation in the north-west. In recent weeks, there has been an increase in air strikes and ground-based strikes, mostly in parts of southern and western Idlib, which, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) reports, have caused a high number of civilian casualties.”
2019-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8664 (2019) · source
“So far this year, we have reached an average of 5.6 million people a month in all parts of Syria. We try to prioritize the neediest. Over half of the response takes place in areas under Government control. It takes place with the Government's agreement and acceptance and in coordination with it. This year, the United Nations and humanitarian organizations are delivering assistance from within Syria to an average of3 million people every month. Most of the beneficiaries are people in the most acute need and in communities with a high concentration of people in need. The assistance provided by the United Nations and other humanitarian organizations is tailored to meet people's needs, based on independent assessments.”
2019-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8664 (2019) · source
“Mr. Lowcock: As the conflict in Syria evolves, one fact remains - it is the people of Syria who continue to bear the consequences of eight and a half years of war. Across the country, more than 11 million remain in need of humanitarian assistance. That is more than half the estimated population. Today I want to, first, update the Council on the humanitarian response; secondly, cover the situation in the north-west; thirdly, flag some points on the north- east; fourthly, brief Council members on the findings of my recent visit on the cross-border operation; and fifthly, remind the Council of the wider regional situation. First, with regard to the humanitarian response, the United Nations and other humanitarian organizations work through all possible avenues to reach as many of the people in need as possible every month.”
2019-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8664 (2019) · source
“The funding we have received for the response plan will allow humanitarian agencies to continue keeping millions of people alive. That is cause for optimism, but there is much more to do if our aim is not just to reduce people's suffering, but to end it altogether. The only way to achieve that is to stop the war, and I am sure that Martin Griffiths will address that shortly.”
2019-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8642 (2019) · source
“In some areas, the number of people reporting to health-care facilities over the past several weeks has dropped by 50 per cent because sick people could not get there. At the same time, mobile health teams are struggling to reach patients where they are because the teams do not have fuel either. Therefore, I once again welcome the step, which I just announced, towards more flexibility, but I also call on the Government to manage commercial imports in a way that sustainably avoids exacerbating humanitarian needs. I also call on Ansar Allah authorities to avoid any steps that could worsen shortages or push price rises higher. Everything possible has to be done to ensure that families are able to buy what they need to survive and that essential services can continue.”
2019-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8642 (2019) · source
“As severe shortages have gripped many areas in recent weeks, fuel prices have doubled or even tripled. Very quickly, that pushed the cost of food and drinking water, which many people already could not afford, to even higher prices. Without fuel, municipal water systems in three cities have simply stopped working altogether, and others have cut back services. Sanitation plants have reduced operations. Large quantities of human, animal and commercial waste have accumulated in the streets, greatly exacerbating the risk of cholera and other diseases. Rising fuel prices also mean families are less likely to get help when they need it because transport simply becomes unaffordable or unavailable.”
2019-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8642 (2019) · source
“Fuel is essential to transporting food to markets, pumping drinking water and powering sanitation systems. Nearly three-quarters of hospitals rely on fuel to provide care, and aid organizations need fuel for their work. Over the past several weeks, those regulations, imposed by the Government, have blocked commercial fuel imports from Al-Hudaydah. We understand, however, that yesterday the Government cleared eight vessels carrying the equivalent of more than a month's supply of average fuel imports. Several of those vessels have already started sailing for Al-Hudaydah. One of them arrived this morning. That is something I welcome. It is important to understand the central role of fuel in determining the humanitarian needs in Yemen and our ability to meet them.”
2019-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8642 (2019) · source
“Five hundred and eighty rial to the dollar is of course an improvement over the sustained 600-rial rate that we had seen for the past six weeks, and I want to commend the Government of Yemen for its efforts to stabilize the exchange rate and pay more civil servant salaries and strengthen the economy. But ultimately those efforts cannot manoeuvre around a fundamental obstacle - the lack of foreign exchange. I call on Yemen's partners to provide regular injections of foreign exchange at a scale that will keep the exchange rate stable and help return food and other commodity prices to more affordable levels. I also want to repeat my concern about the humanitarian impact of recent Government regulations on commercial fuel imports, which have contributed to severe fuel shortages in many areas.”
2019-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8642 (2019) · source
“Although substantial gaps remain, United Nations agencies have reopened many programmes that had been suspended, including support for health-care facilities, malnutrition treatment centres and vaccination campaigns. Other programmes should come back online soon. The fourth point is the economy. Last year, economic collapse pushed Yemen to the brink of widespread famine. We should therefore all be concerned that indicators are again pointing in that direction. The exchange rate is fluctuating at between 580 and 595 rial to the dollar. That is more than double the rate when the conflict escalated five years ago. Because Yemen imports almost everything, consumer prices have also more than doubled, pushing basic goods out of reach for millions of people. Therefore, although there may be food in the markets, fewer people can afford it.”
2019-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8642 (2019) · source
“At the General Assembly high-level week last month, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia gave the United Nations $500 million for the response plan, bringing its total contributions to this year's plan to $708 million. Earlier in September, the United Arab Emirates allocated $200 million to my Office and the World Food Programme, bringing its total to $380 million. Other donors have also stepped forward. Kuwait has just given $88 million. In the past two months, the United States, Germany, the European Commission and others have also given substantial additional funds on top of their earlier contributions. With hundreds of millions of dollars in new funding over the past six weeks, the response plan has gone from 45 per cent funded in early September to 65 per cent funded today.”
2019-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8642 (2019) · source
“Last month, several humanitarian organizations suspended activities in parts of Abyan and Shabwah as a result of clashes there. These programmes have now mostly resumed but continue to face difficulties near front lines. The Government has made substantial progress in clearing backlogs of pending humanitarian projects, with many recently approved to begin. But several other projects are still awaiting Government clearance, which is delaying assistance for people who need it. The third point is funding for the aid operation. For much of the year, agencies have struggled to raise enough money. Over the last few months, funding gaps have forced key programmes to close. I therefore welcome the generous contributions we have received in the past several weeks.”
2019-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8642 (2019) · source
“On a separate note, we hope recent discussions with Ansar Allah authorities will finally pave the way for a United Nations-led assessment of the decaying FSO SAFER oil tanker. This assessment is the first step in preventing a major potential environmental and humanitarian catastrophe in the Red Sea. The United Nations remains eager to assist with the FSO SAFER. It is entirely up to Ansar Allah whether we are able to do so. We have, of course, been here before. In the south, we are encouraged by reports that talks between the Government and the Southern Transitional Council are progressing. Mr. Griffiths will provide further details on those reports. A renewal of hostilities in the south would put civilians in harm's way and impact humanitarian operations.”
2019-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8642 (2019) · source
“In September, Ansar Allah authorities effectively expelled or refused entry to several United Nations personnel, including a senior official. Movement restrictions also remain severe. To cite one example, local authorities recently blocked humanitarian assessments in Haj jah and Al-Hudaydah, where the authorities themselves tell us that more than 12,000 families have been affected by floods. We are engaging with Ansar Allah authorities and have underlined our expectation that they will take action to improve the operating environment in accordance with humanitarian principles. We have seen some progress, with dozens of blocked projects recently cleared to start, but many more projects remain pending.”
2019-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8642 (2019) · source
“Griffiths will tell the Council during his briefing, violence decreased a little in October, but with more than 30 active front lines, we can only hope that recent steps towards de-escalation, on which Martin will brief the Council, will continue. I continue to call for a nationwide ceasefire. In parallel to these efforts, all parties must uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure. The second issue is humanitarian access, which remains extremely challenging, particularly in the north. Agencies there must still navigate more than 100 different restrictions imposed by Ansar Allah authorities, in addition to frequent harassment and attempts at interference.”
2019-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8642 (2019) · source
“I would like to update the Council on where these issues now stand. Let me start with protection of civilians. September was the deadliest month for civilians so far this year, with reports of 388 having been killed or injured due to conflict across the country. That is an average of 13 people every day. There are many gruesome examples. Last week, four children in Al-Hudaydah were killed when unexploded ordnance from previous rounds of shelling detonated nearby. All four were from the same family. On 23 and 24 September, air strikes killed 22 civilians in a mosque in Amran and a family home in Al-Dhale'e. And in Sa'dah last week, air strikes damaged a United Nations-supported water system that serves 12,000 people. That was the fourth time that facility had been hit since 2016. As Mr.”
2019-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8642 (2019) · source
“Mr. Lowcock: As Council members have heard me say many times before, Yemen is the world's worst humanitarian crisis and the location of the Organization's largest relief operation. More than 250 humanitarian agencies - most of them Yemeni - are working to deliver the United Nations response plan. Together, we are reaching more than 12 million people across the country every month. But as the aid operation has expanded, the drivers of the crisis have continued to get worse. In fact, it often feels in Yemen that the more we achieve, the bigger and more complicated the problem becomes. For more than a year, we have advocated progress on five key priorities: first, the protection of civilians; secondly, humanitarian access; thirdly, funding for the aid operation; fourthly, support for the economy; and fifthly, a political solution.”
2019-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8642 (2019) · source
“In the wake of fuel shortages last April, the Government introduced more flexible arrangements and shortages eased. According to Government statements at the time, that approach did not undermine the stated purpose of the regulations. We therefore hope that the Government will again take that route. We also call on Ansar Allah to end interference in fuel markets, which exacerbates shortages. Beyond those humanitarian priorities, the presidential statement mainly addressed the urgent need to get the peace process back on track. We all agree that peace is what Yemen needs more than anything, and Martin Griffiths and his team have our full support as they work with the parties to achieve that.”
2019-09-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8619 (2019) · source
“We are concerned that such measures could discourage critical import flows despite the presence of an effective United Nations inspection and monitoring mechanism to facilitate them. The stricter enforcement of regulations is already creating delays for commercial ships serving Al-Hudaydah. As of today, the Government and the coalition are blocking 10 vessels with commercial fuel imports from entering Al-Hudaydah. Together, the ships are carrying 163,000 metric tons of fuel. That is more than an average month of fuel imports. The impact on hundreds of thousands of families is already being felt. People who are barely surviving now will find it much harder to do so unless adequate levels of commercial imports, including fuel, are able to enter the country continuously through all ports.”
2019-09-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8619 (2019) · source
“Last year, the collapse of the currency was a primary driver in pushing Yemen to the brink of widespread famine. In the past, injections of foreign exchange have helped to stabilize the exchange rate. Last year, such support quickly brought the rate back from a peak of 800 rial to about 400 rial. We need a predictable, regular programme for those injections, which, I hope, Yemen's partners will provide. I am encouraged by the news last week that Saudi Arabia has released another $90 million to the central bank from a $2 billion deposit announced in January 2018. I also remain concerned about the potential impact of regulations of the new Government of Yemen on commercial fuel imports, including Decree 49.”
2019-09-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8619 (2019) · source
“Other programmes targeting millions of people will also remain at grave risk. So, again, I welcome the developments I have just informed the Council of. The fourth point that the Council highlighted in its 29 August statement is Yemen's struggling economy. This is an issue that requires more attention. Recent indicators are alarming. The exchange rate is once more depreciating and is now hovering atjust over 600 Yemeni rial to the dollar - compared with, as the Council will recall, 215 rial to the dollar before the crisis. We have not seen the rate cross the 600-rial threshold since last year, when uncontrolled depreciation took hold in the country and prompted major hikes in food prices. Because Yemen imports nearly everything, higher exchange rates mean that millions more people are unable to afford food and other essential goods.”
2019-09-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8619 (2019) · source
“I havejust this morning received confirmation from the Saudi authorities that they plan on 25 September to transfer $500 million in a single payment to my Office in discharge of the pledge they made for the Yemen humanitarian response plan in February. I warmly welcome this and look forward to the signing of the agreements on 25 September alongside the transfer of the funds that day. The United Arab Emirates has also just allocated $200 million to the response plan. This includes $100 million for the World Food Programme and an additional $100 million channelled through my Office for other urgent priorities. Until there is more money in the bank, we will not be in a position to reopen vaccination programmes and nutrition centres or to resume cholera-prevention work or other activities that we have had in recent weeks to close down.”
2019-09-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8619 (2019) · source
“Humanitarian staff remain in place and are not leaving. But this volatility, if not addressed, will continue to present a serious potential threat to aid operations in the south. We are also concerned by ongoing Government delays in approving NGO projects, which are currently holding up relief programmes for an estimated 1.6 million people. We continue to see bottlenecks at the Dhubab checkpoint, where coalition requirements are slowing aid agencies' access to Government-held areas along the west coast. The third point is funding for the aid operation. Despite all the access problems, we can reach people and save lives if humanitarian agencies are adequately financed. Let me repeat that: if funded, the aid operation will help save millions of lives.”
2019-09-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8619 (2019) · source
“I have explained to the Council many times now the risks posed by the tanker, and I implore Member States to do all they can to allow us to address this issue as quickly as possible. Our team can still deploy within three weeks if allowed to do so. In the south, the recent violence in Aden and other areas illustrates how volatile the situation remains. Millions of people in the south also need humanitarian assistance, including help to prevent and treat cholera or stave off extreme hunger. The services we provide in the south are essential to save lives and reduce the suffering there. Recent clashes between the Government and forces affiliated with the Southern Transitional Council undermined this critical work, restricting some operations for several days. Despite this, we have done everything we can to keep operations on track.”
2019-09-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8619 (2019) · source
“I am also disappointed at the fact that the long- planned assessment of the FSO SAFER oil tanker has not taken place. Based on prior agreement from the Ansar Allah authorities, we deployed the United Nations assessment team and equipment to Djibouti last month. The assessment should have started on 27 August. As the start date approached, Ansar Allah authorities raised several objections, despite their earlier agreement. We worked hard to overcome those objections, but, when it became clear that progress was highly unlikely, we just had to send the team home. We remain eager to assist with the SAFER, within the limits of technical feasibility and available funds. But whether this work can proceed is up to Ansar Allah.”
2019-09-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8619 (2019) · source
“Almost 90 per cent of incidents were due to bureaucratic impediments and other kinds of interference. Most of those incidents were due to restrictions imposed by Ansar Allah authorities. They include obstacles to beneficiary registration, attempts to divert aid and efforts to control the selection of implementing partners. Humanitarian workers have been detained at checkpoints and, in several cases, arbitrarily arrested. Staff also face intimidation and harassment at Sana'a airport. The Ansar Allah authorities are now seeking to introduce new regulations for international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that would undermine humanitarian principles. A large number of NGO projects in the north have been unable to start this year, affecting some 4.3 million people.”
2019-09-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8619 (2019) · source
“A nationwide ceasefire, as I have long advocated, would reduce people's exposure to harm right now. All parties must uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law at all times. Part of this commitment entails accountability for serious violations. In 2017 the Human Rights Council established the Independent Group of Eminent Experts to examine possible violations. They have just released a disturbing report, and I hope that their mandate will again be extended. Secondly, despite the Council's recent and repeated calls for unimpeded humanitarian access, the operating environment for aid agencies has perhaps never been worse than it is right now. In June and July, humanitarian agencies reported 300 incidents that hindered humanitarian assistance, affecting 4.9 million people.”
2019-09-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8619 (2019) · source
“Two weeks ago, air strikes hit a prison in Dhamar governorate. In better times, this facility had been a university i itself a sobering illustration of where this war has taken Yemen. More than 100 people were killed in the attack, making it one of the deadliest of the conflict. What exactly happened in this incident remains disputed. The scale ofthe carnage in Dhamar is shocking. But otherwise, this kind of attack is disturbingly common and familiar. On Friday, three days ago, shelling by Ansar Allah-affiliated forces in Al-Hudaydah killed 11 civilians, including seven children. The same day, two children were killed in a separate shelling incident in Taiz. There are many other similar examples. We see a persistent pattern ofattacks in Yemen that kill or injure civilians or damage critical civilian infrastructure.”
2019-09-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8619 (2019) · source
“Many of those themes were also addressed in resolution 2451 (2018) and, indeed, in nearly all the Council's products since hostilities escalated in Yemen, more than four years ago. We have also covered those issues extensively in our monthly briefings to the Council. And yet, with few exceptions, we seem no closer to the outcomes we all say we want. In some cases, we have moved farther away. I would like to update the Council now on the current situation on each issue. First, let me turn to the issue of international humanitarian law, which requires all parties to respect civilians and civilian infrastructure and to take constant care to spare them throughout military operations. Since last month's briefing, we have seen numerous incidents that have killed or injured civilians or damaged civilian infrastructure.”
2019-09-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8619 (2019) · source
“Mr. Lowcock: Let me, like Martin, at the outset again repeat the United Nations condemnation of Saturday's attacks on Saudi Arabian oil facilities and reiterate the Secretary-General's call of yesterday on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and prevent any escalation. On 29 August, as Martin just reminded us, the Security Council issued a presidential statement on Yemen (S/PRST/2019/9) e its fourth since 2015 and the first since it adopted resolution 2451 (2018) last December. In that statement, the Council advocated for key humanitarian priorities, including, first, respect for international humanitarian law; secondly, unhindered humanitarian access; thirdly, a fully funded aid operation; and, fourthly, support for Yemen's struggling economy.”
2019-09-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8619 (2019) · source
“Three million people, two thirds of them women and children, count on the Council's support to make the violence stop. I told members last month (see S/PV.8589) what some of them said to me. We cannot turn back the clock on what has happened. But Council members can take meaningful action now to protect civilians and ensure full respect for international humanitarian law. It is within the Council's power to do that.”
2019-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8609 (2019) · source
“Humanitarian assistance provided by United Nations agencies included food for an average 3.6 million people per month and more than 2.1 million health treatments to people around the country. The response this year, however, is significantly less well-funded than it was at this stage in 2018. I would therefore ask all those who made pledges at the Brussels Conference in April to take early action to implement them. Finally, let me return to Idlib. Three weeks from now it will be one year since the signing of the memorandum of understanding on Idlib - an agreement that called for restraint and aimed to prevent further escalation in north-west Syria. Yet one year on, the bombing and fighting go on in plain sight, day in and day out.”
2019-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8609 (2019) · source
“The United Nations has taken note of statements released by the United States and Turkey with regard to their plans to coordinate the establishment of a so- called safe zone in north-eastern Syria. The United Nations is not a party to, and has not been consulted on, that agreement. I must emphasize that any measures taken must ensure the safety and welfare of civilians, including by protecting them from violence, forced displacement or loss of livelihoods, and that sustained, unimpeded and safe humanitarian access to civilians in need must be guaranteed, including through the cross-border programme for the United Nations and its humanitarian partners. The United Nations and humanitarian agencies run a large relief operation all across Syria, reaching 6 million people in the period covered by the Secretary- General's latest report.”
2019-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8609 (2019) · source
“Most have been exposed to violence and trauma under the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant. They are now living in extremely difficult conditions and face an uncertain fate. That includes the risk of being denied repatriation, rehabilitation, reintegration or a fair trial, and the risk of becoming stateless despite having citizenship or a claim to citizenship. Solutions to those difficult issues need urgently to be found. The United Nations has repeatedly called on all Member States to take the measures necessary to ensure that their nationals are repatriated for the purposes of prosecution, rehabilitation and/or reintegration, as appropriate, in line with international law and standards. In that effort, it is important that all children under 18 be considered primarily as victims and be duly protected and assisted.”
2019-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8609 (2019) · source
“As per our agreement with the Syrian authorities, another mission is planned to Rukban within the next couple of weeks to facilitate the transport of those who said they wanted to leave Rukban for shelters in Horns. All movement must be voluntary, safe, well-informed and dignified, with humanitarian access assured throughout. The agreement is that in the same mission the United Nations and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent will provide critical humanitarian assistance to those who decide to remain in Rukban. Let me turn now to Al-Hol. There are currently some 68,600 people in that camp. Approximately 40 per cent of them are Syrians, 45 per cent are Iraqis and 15 per cent are other foreign nationals. Some 94 per cent are women and children, of whom 67 per cent are under the age of 18.”
2019-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8609 (2019) · source
“The people of Idlib are reached exclusively through the cross-border operation - because, as I have said before, that is the only way they can be reached for as long as access from within the country is impeded. It is for that reason that the renewal of resolution 2165 (2014) later this year will be crucial. Let me update the Council now on Rukban. Dire conditions and the lack of assistance, coupled with the hope for durable solutions, have led many people to leave. Another joint United Nations-Syrian Arab Red Crescent assessment mission took place last week. The purpose was to determine the number of people wishing to leave Rukban and those wishing to stay. The mission informed everyone in the camp about plans for future assisted voluntary departures and assessed the needs of those wishing to stay.”
2019-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8609 (2019) · source
“There can be no reason, rationale, excuse or justification for the destruction of civilian areas on the scale seen in Idlib today. In the months ahead, the board of inquiry, the establishment of which was announced by the Secretary- General, will investigate incidents in north-west Syria that damaged or destroyed facilities that have either been de-conflicted or received humanitarian support from the United Nations. Despite all the challenges, the humanitarian community is doing everything it can to respond to the needs of the estimated 3 million people in and around Idlib. With some 15,000 aid workers on the ground, humanitarians continue to provide shelter materials, food assistance and health services to the population, including newly displaced people. More than 1 million people receive general food assistance every month.”
2019-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8609 (2019) · source
“Shelling, air strikes and widely reported fires have contributed to the destruction of crops and damage to farming equipment. Much of the harvest has been lost, and the capacity to prepare the soil for the new planting season is compromised. I and other United Nations officials have repeatedly called on the parties and the Council to ensure respect for international humanitarian law. The rules are clear. The parties must at all times apply the principles of distinction and precaution in the conduct of hostilities and take all the necessary steps to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure from attacks and the effects of violence. People's homes, hospitals, schools, water systems and markets must be protected.”
2019-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8609 (2019) · source
“The United Nations and humanitarian partners have mobile teams ready to respond in the area should civilians decide to use the crossing point. From the information available to us, however, it appears that relatively few people are opting to move in that direction, compared to the much larger number of people preferring to move north and west further into Idlib. One dimension of the Idlib conflict that we have not covered much in our previous briefings, but is covered by the Secretary-General's latest report, is the impact on agricultural activities in northern Hamah and southern Idlib governorates. Traditionally, large parts of the agricultural area in Idlib, considered to be among of the most fertile land in the country, are cultivated for wheat.”
2019-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8609 (2019) · source
“Many of those people are living in the open air, frequently protected only by a plastic sheet. Approximately 100 schools have been turned over for displaced people, compromising their ability to provide education for children. On 22 August, following advances in many areas of northern Hamah and southern Idlib, the Syrian authorities announced once again the opening of the Morek-Souran crossing point for civilians wishing to leave the area. We understand that the Syrian authorities have stationed buses in the area and that the Syrian Arab Red Crescent has been asked to prepare for possible population movements. There are two shelters with a capacity of 150 families identified in Souran to receive people.”
2019-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8609 (2019) · source
“Over the past three weeks, since the collapse of the conditional ceasefire on 5 August, dozens of communities have emptied out in northern Hamah and southern Idlib. Satellite imagery shows that entire towns and villages have been razed to the ground. Most of those who can are fleeing northwards, further into Idlib governorate and closer to the Turkish border. Those who stay behind are cowering in basements or in what is left of their homes. Approximately 576,000 individual displacement movements have been recorded by United Nations- supported systems since May. In order to give the Council a sense of scale, that is three to four times the number recorded during the Violence in eastern Ghouta early last year, and almost 75 per cent more than was seen during the offensive in southern Syria in mid-2018.”
2019-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8609 (2019) · source
“I want to give the Council a few examples of the humanitarian consequences that we have seen since my deputy last updated Council members on 14 August. Over the weekend from 16 to 18 August, an additional 44 civilians were reportedly killed owing to air strikes, including 16 children and 12 women. Attacks also reportedly impacted two schools in Hish, one in Ma'arat Hurmah and one in Hazarin. On Monday, 15 civilians, including women and children, were reportedly killed in air strikes on seven communities in Idlib. And this morning we received reports that yesterday 17 more people, including three women and seven children, were killed by air strikes and that a health-care facility in Ghadqa town was damaged.”
2019-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8609 (2019) · source
“In summary, according to conservative estimates, more than 500 civilians have been killed, and many hundreds more injured, since the start of the escalation in north-west Syria in late April. The World Health Organization and UNICEF report that 43 health-care facilities, 87 educational facilities, 29 water stations and seven markets have been impacted by fighting since April. The Secretary-General's report reminds us that those attacks have been confirmed using tried and tested systems, whereby the United Nations receives reports from partners on the ground and reviews them against at least two other independent sources. I believe Geir Pedersen, in his statement, will touch on recent military and political developments in the area.”
2019-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8609 (2019) · source
“Mr. Lowcock: I again want to start today with the situation around Idlib, on which we have briefed the Security Council many times over the past four months. The Secretary-General issued another statement on 20 August expressing deep concerns about the continued escalation. He strongly condemned the continued attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, including on health-care and educational facilities, and urged the parties to fully respect international humanitarian law. On 21 August, the Secretary-General issued his latest report (S/2019/674), which you just referred to, Madam President, on the implementation of the Council's resolutions on Syria. The report covers the period up to the end of July.”
2019-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8609 (2019) · source
“I am not sure that I have told the Council anything today that is different from what all those present already know. Many people have told the Council what is happening in Idlib for many months now. I asked Dr. Abrash and the children that I spoke to yesterday if they had a message for the Council. They do, and it is "[w]e are afraid. Please help us. Make it stop." The Security Council has ignored all the previous pleas it has heard. The Council knows what is happening, and it has done nothing for 90 days, as the carnage continues in front of its eyes. Are members of the Council again going to shrug their shoulders, as Michelle Bachelet said? Or are they going to listen to the children of Idlib, and do something about it?”
2019-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8589 (2019) · source
“I call again on all Member States to repatriate their civilians and take all the necessary steps to avoid statelessness. I also call on all Member States to de-escalate growing tensions along the borders in the north-east and avoid any actions that might cause further displacement, casualties and suffering. In addition, humanitarian agencies have significantly scaled up cross-border operations authorized under resolution 2165 (2014), particularly for those who have fled to the northern part of Idlib during the current fighting. This month, cross-border aid aims to reach some 1.2 million people with food assistance. In the current circumstances, there is no other way to provide adequate support to the 3 million civilians who are in the area.”
2019-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8589 (2019) · source
“In southern Syria, for example, half a million people in need have been reached at least once with some form of humanitarian assistance over the past five months, despite increased insecurity in recent months. Significant gaps in access still remain across many of those areas. Eastern Ghouta, for example, remains heavily dependent upon water trucking more than a year after changes in control. I also remain concerned for those 24,000 people remaining in Rukban, and I call again for access to reach them. In the north-east, 734,000 people also receive assistance on a monthly basis, including 70,000 civilians currently in Al-Hol camp. Humanitarian agencies have significantly scaled up their response to meet needs in Al-Hol, opening three field hospitals in the past month. I nevertheless remain extremely concerned about people there.”
2019-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8589 (2019) · source