YouSaid · the spoken record

Mark Lowcock

lines on the record: 336
first: 2020-03-30
most recent: 2021-05-26
sittings or episodes: 28
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

“I therefore encourage the relevant Member States to work closely with the NGOs and the banks alike to try to resolve these problems. Finally, I will say just a few words on the assistance we are delivering through the United Nations and the agencies we work with across Syria. At the fifth Brussels conference, to which Geir eluded, co-chaired by the United Nations and the European Union on 30 March, pledges of $4.4 billion were made to provide assistance in Syria and the region this year. Those contributions help us sustain what is a massive humanitarian operation coordinated by the United Nations in Syria. It reaches currently around 7.7 million people every month all over the country. But much more is needed. Humanitarian organizations were aiming to deliver assistance to 12.3 million people in Syria this year.”
2021-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/418 (2021) · source
“There has been no humanitarian assistance delivered to the estimated 12,000 people in Rukban from the Government-held areas since December 2019. Geir touched on the issue of sanctions. I again echo what he said. I note again the public assurances by the United States and by the European Union that their sanctions programmes do not ban the flow of humanitarian supplies to Syria, and that they are committed to fully and expeditiously applying humanitarian exemptions. Unfortunately, we see the impact of sanctions on humanitarian operations in the form of overcompliance with the measures put in place, including in the financial sector. More than half of the international NGOs that are operating out of Damascus have reported serious problems with their banking requirements this year.”
2021-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/418 (2021) · source
“While the United Nations has scaled up cross-line deliveries, needs continue to outstrip our ability to respond. Many medical facilities remain short of the necessary supplies and equipment, as I articulated last month in more detail (see S/2021/315). Overall, the situation has worsened since the removal of the Al-Yarubiyah authorized border crossing in January 2020. Let me turn now to Rukban. Preparations are under way for United Nations- supported voluntary departures to Syrian Government-held areas. This month, the Government approved the use of Al-Dweir, in rural Damascus, as a COVID-19 quarantine centre, and that does pave the way for those who choose to leave. The assessment in the camp itself is, meanwhile, pretty dark.”
2021-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/418 (2021) · source
“A revised concept of operations for that convoy and the delivery was presented in March. It has not yet been rejected, but nor have the operational details of the proposed mission been agreed by everybody. Consultations therefore continue to try to address parties’ reservations, including on the question of how aid would be distributed once the convoy reaches the places intended. In the north-east, hostilities in and around Qamishli and Al-Hasakah, which I mentioned earlier, are affecting operations as well. Twenty-five trucks containing food rations have been stuck at a checkpoint outside Qamishli since 23 April. That kind of disruption is really unacceptable, and another example of the challenging operating environment humanitarian organizations face in north-east Syria.”
2021-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/418 (2021) · source
“In north-west Syria, millions of people remain pressed up against the border in an active war zone, dependent on aid that is delivered across the border from Turkey. Our data show those people are worse off now than they were nine months ago. Every month, the cross-border operation reaches some 2.4 million people, who depend on it for food, medicines, shelter and other vital supplies. A failure to extend the cross-border authorization would sever this lifeline. I made my appeal to the Council on that earlier in my briefing, alongside Geir and the Secretary-General. We cannot, under current conditions, substitute for the cross-border channel. We are continuing to engage with the parties to deploy a first cross-line humanitarian convoy into north-west Syria.”
2021-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/418 (2021) · source
“That affects close to half a million people in Al-Hasakah, including in Al-Hol camp. The United Nations has now recorded more than 20 such interruptions over the past year. Humanitarian agencies are trucking more than 3,000 cubic metres of water every day to the area, but this is not enough to meet people’s essential needs, particularly as the area battles, like many other parts of Syria, increasing numbers of COVID-19 cases. I therefore call again for a sustainable solution to keep water flowing at Allouk. Any solution must include safe and regular access for technical teams to the station and to the electrical installations that it relies on. My next point relates to humanitarian access.”
2021-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/418 (2021) · source
“As the Secretary-General has said, we are seeing a collective failure to protect women and children at Al-Hol and other camps and places of detention in north-east Syria. Tens of thousands of children are growing up in desperate and really scandalous conditions. So, again, I join the Secretary-General in urging relevant Member States, rapidly and safely, to allow for the voluntary repatriation of their nationals, as required by international law and standards. Objects that are indispensable for civilians’ survival must also be protected, and I and others briefed the Council on that yesterday (see S/2021/415). I want to update you on the situation at the Allouk water station. The water supply has again been interrupted almost consistently for the past two weeks.”
2021-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/418 (2021) · source
“Humanitarian workers in Syria deliver life-saving aid under the most challenging circumstances and at great personal risk. They really must be protected. Also, in the north-east, we are monitoring with concern the increasing tensions in and around Qamishli and Al-Hasakah cities. Last week, clashes in Qamishli killed at least three civilians, including two children, and injured many others. At least 15,000 people have been displaced. Turning to Al-Hol, a security operation that concluded on 1 April resulted in the detention of more than 100 camp residents. That exercise also forced the temporary suspension of some humanitarian services. Insecurity at Al-Hol continues, however, and at least two more people have been killed since that security operation.”
2021-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/418 (2021) · source
“And the proportion is — it will come as no surprise — much higher among people who have been displaced and among returnees. Ongoing fuel shortages are increasingly affecting humanitarian operations as well. Several field missions were cancelled this month because there was not enough fuel to conduct them. My next point relates to protection. Geir Pedersen touched again on the violence we have seen recently. Two more aid workers were killed in Syria this month. The two volunteers for the national non-governmental organization (NGO) “Al-Bir Wa Al-Ehsan Ras Al-Ain” were killed in an armed attack on 17 April on their way back from a humanitarian assistance project in Deir ez-Zor. I again condemn this and all similar attacks.”
2021-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/418 (2021) · source
“It is now around 3,400 Syrian pounds to the United States dollar on the informal market. That compares with 4,700 Syrian pounds to the dollar at a low point in March. One consequence thereof is that there are, in some places, some reductions in prices for staples, such as rice and sugar, many of which are imported, obviously. But food prices overall remain at historically high levels. In fact, in Al-Hasakah, subsidized bread prices doubled this month. So, across the country, our food-security assessments still show the situation is getting worse. Most Syrian households — more than half of them — report not having sufficient, or sufficiently nutritious, food. That is an increase of more than 70 per cent as compared to last year.”
2021-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/418 (2021) · source
“It is a vital first step to protect medical workers and those most vulnerable, but more vaccines will be needed as soon as possible. Let me just make the obvious point that the vaccine doses that reached north- west Syria were delivered, like all United Nations humanitarian assistance there, through the Bab Al-Hawa border crossing. It is really not clear how future such deliveries could reach north-west Syria unless the Council confirms reauthorization of United Nations cross-border access. And Geir Pedersen has made an appeal to the Council today in that regard, reinforcing what the Secretary-General has already said. I, of course, endorse those appeals, too. Next, I turn to the economic crisis. The exchange rate has again been volatile; in fact, it has appreciated over the last month or so.”
2021-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/418 (2021) · source
“In northern Syria, new cases have been confirmed in displacement camps, including at Al-Hol and Al-Roj. Both those camps lack the resources to treat COVID-19 patients. At the United Nations, we are doing what we can to provide support, including by enhancing surveillance capacity, providing personal protective equipment and providing training for medical workers, as well as supporting the roll-out of vaccination campaigns. Last week, the first deliveries of vaccines from the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access Facility (COVAX) arrived in Syria, and additional deliveries are expected throughout the year. The supplies from COVAX should cover around 20 per cent of the population, but that is obviously not nearly enough.”
2021-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/418 (2021) · source
“I will cover five points today: first, the impact of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19); secondly, the economic crisis; thirdly, the protection of civilians; fourthly, humanitarian access; and finally, the assistance humanitarian organizations are providing across Syria. Let me start with COVID-19, which Geir Pedersen, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria, said I would address. As I have said before, since testing across the country is so limited, there is a high degree of uncertainty over exactly the scale of the pandemic in Syria. But from the available information, it is pretty clear that the virus spread is, again, rapid but also accelerating. The number of new cases recorded by the Ministry of Health in March was twice the number recorded in February. Hospitals in Damascus, including intensive care units, are now full.”
2021-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/418 (2021) · source
“The war is the central driving force behind the misery we see today. I strongly support Martin Griffiths’ efforts to mediate a nationwide ceasefire, not just in Ma’rib but across the country, and to resume the political process. The only way to end the crisis in Yemen is to end the war.”
2021-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/372 (2021) · source
“And on Tuesday, the Government also announced it will allow three additional ships to proceed to Al-Hudaydah, carrying another 90,000 metric tons of fuel. These are welcome steps that will relieve some of the most immediate shortages. But the basic problem remains, which is a political dispute between the parties on how to manage import revenue. Until that dispute is resolved, Yemenis will be stuck in a cycle of fuel shortages that drive up the prices of food, water, transportation and everything else, while simultaneously cutting into basic services. Yemenis cannot cope with that cycle, especially now as famine and COVID-19 are bearing down on the country. I call on the parties to find a workable, lasting solution that will ensure a reliable, affordable fuel supply across the country. My final point is on progress towards peace.”
2021-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/372 (2021) · source
“The second is to ensure adequate quantities of commercial imports keep entering all ports. Last month, I stressed my concern that commercial fuel imports through Al-Hudaydah had dropped to zero. This drop was contributing to severe fuel shortages, mainly in the north. Fuel is an absolutely essential commodity. It is needed to pump clean water, run sanitation systems, keep health facilities running and drive sick people to hospital. With COVID-19 again ravaging the country, a reliable fuel supply is more important than ever. Several weeks ago, the Government allowed four commercial fuel ships to berth in Al-Hudaydah, carrying 75,000 metric tons of fuel, which is equivalent to about two weeks’ worth of fuel imports. These were the first fuel ships to enter the port since January.”
2021-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/372 (2021) · source
“I call on donors to disburse outstanding pledges right away and to increase their support. Sustained assistance will be essential throughout the year if we are to avert famine, ramp up the COVID-19 response and address other severe needs. The fourth issue is on Yemen’s economic collapse, which is a major driver of famine risk. As I have said in the past, there are two immediate steps that can help stem this collapse right now. The first is to strengthen the currency. The rial is still trading near record lows, which means millions more people cannot afford food or other essentials, nearly all of which must be imported. Foreign-exchange injections through the Central Bank stabilized the rial in the past. Those injections should be renewed. The Government is eager to work with Yemen’s partners to make this a success.”
2021-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/372 (2021) · source
“If Ansar Allah leadership agrees to move forward, which recent statements would indicate they do, the United Nations assessment team could arrive by early July. My third point is on funding for the aid operation. More money for the United Nations response plan is the fastest, most efficient way to save millions of lives. Right now, agencies are helping about 9 million people every month, down from nearly 14 million a year ago as a result of funding cuts. On 1 March, the world promised $1.7 billion for humanitarian action in Yemen this year. That is less than half of what we need. So far, about half of those pledges have been paid. Today the United Nations response plan is only about 22 per cent funded. Without more funding, millions of Yemenis will be staring down a death sentence this year.”
2021-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/372 (2021) · source
“The regulations have now been suspended for Ramadan, which is a good start. We hope to see them reversed altogether. The Government has also been supporting us on this. In the north, we continue to engage Ansar Allah at all levels to accelerate the improvements we saw last year on key issues like biometric registration, assessments and project approvals. Those improvements have mostly held, but further progress has stalled. This remains a major priority for agencies and donors. Regarding the FSO SAFER oil tanker, a deal might be in sight to resolve the impasse on logistics and practical arrangements to implement the agreed mission plan. The United Nations has been as flexible as possible in these discussions because we are eager to get started.”
2021-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/372 (2021) · source
“Humanitarian agencies are quickly expanding their presence in Ma’rib to help people affected by the recent escalation there. Regular United Nations flights to Ma’rib have also been approved and will soon start. The Government and the coalition are working with us to facilitate this. The Government also recently released humanitarian assets that had been stuck in customs in Aden, which is a welcome development. However, bureaucratic impediments to humanitarian action remain a severe challenge in Yemen. On the west coast, local authorities in Government-held areas recently introduced regulations requiring movement permits and other paperwork for aid agencies. These regulations were issued independently without Government approval and brought aid delivery in the area to a near stand-still.”
2021-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/372 (2021) · source
“The offensive in Ma’rib is a severe threat to millions of people, including more than 1 million internally displaced persons who had sought safety in what was one of Yemen’s last oases of stability. Hostilities in Ma’rib have also set off escalations elsewhere, notably in Taiz and Al-Hudaydah, with heavy civilian casualties. All parties must take constant care to spare civilians and civilian objects throughout military operations. If the fighting continues, aid agencies expect tens of thousands more people to flee. That will be extremely dangerous as COVID-19 tears through the country. It will also put more pressure on aid agencies, which are already struggling to avert famine and meet other needs with insufficient resources. My next point is on humanitarian access, which is equally a requirement of international humanitarian law.”
2021-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/372 (2021) · source
“To stop this unfolding catastrophe, we urgently need action on five points: the protection of civilians, humanitarian access, funding, support for the economy, and progress towards peace. Let us start with the protection of civilians, which is a requirement under international humanitarian law. March was the deadliest month for civilians so far this year. More than 200 civilians were killed or injured as a result of hostilities. That is seven civilian casualties every day. Nearly 350 private homes were also damaged or destroyed, and 10 camps hosting displaced people were impacted. About a quarter of civilian casualties occurred in and around Ma’rib, where Ansar Allah forces have continued to press a military offensive that has so far displaced nearly 20,000 people. Many of the displaced had already fled the war at least once before.”
2021-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/372 (2021) · source
“The first shipment from the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access Facility arrived in Aden two weeks ago — about 360,000 doses, which the Government is dispatching now with support from UNICEF and the World Health Organization. Another 1.6 million doses are expected to follow in the coming months. But right now the virus is moving much faster than we can keep up. Vaccines will not be enough to suppress the second wave. We urgently need more resources to scale up treatment, monitoring and other activities that will mitigate the impact of the pandemic. This second wave is coming at a time when large-scale famine is still bearing down on the country. Tens of thousands of people are already starving to death, with another 5 million just one step behind them.”
2021-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/372 (2021) · source
“The situation in Yemen — already the world’s largest humanitarian crisis — is quickly getting even worse. In recent weeks, the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has come roaring back. A devastating new wave of infections has more than doubled the number of confirmed cases in just six weeks. Many more people are getting sick, including doctors, nurses and aid workers, although reporting mechanisms capture only a small share of cases. Hospitals and health facilities are increasingly turning people away because they have no more room or because they lack supplies. Aid agencies are doing everything we can to help, including more surveillance, public outreach, testing and critical supplies such as fuel and medicines. We are also working with the Government on vaccines.”
2021-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/372 (2021) · source
“Humanitarian organizations, coordinated by the United Nations, are seeking an estimated $4.2 billion for the response inside Syria in order to reach 12.3 million people in need. Another $5.8 billion is required for support to countries hosting Syrian refugees in the region. Our ability to deliver aid and stave off an even worse situation for millions of civilians will depend on the political will and financial generosity of the international community, including the countries represented on the Council. Now is not the moment to reduce humanitarian aid to Syria. We need more money, not less, if we are to avoid a further deterioration, the consequences of which could be dramatic and widespread.”
2021-03-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/315 (2021) · source
“However, the World Health Organization warns that funding is a key constraint, as available resources will only cover 40 per cent of estimated health supply needs for north- eastern Syria for 2021. At least nine NGO-supported health facilities will close in the coming months if additional funding is not secured. Let me now say a few words about the assistance that we are delivering across Syria, notwithstanding the complexities and constraints that I have just described. The humanitarian operation currently reaches around 7.7 million people across the country each month. Tomorrow the United Nations will co-host the fifth Brussels Conference on Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region.”
2021-03-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/315 (2021) · source
“NGOs operating in the north-east report imminent stock-outs of critical medicines, such as insulin and cardiovascular and antibacterial medicines, in multiple facilities. The United Nations was able to support the supply chain of medical supplies through Al-Yarubiyah until the Security Council authorization to do so expired. Reputable organizations operating in the north-east tell us that neither cross-line support to health facilities nor increased cross-border shipments by NGOs have since proved a sufficient replacement. Recent assessments in Deir ez-Zor and Al-Hasakah show that only half of the pregnant women and new mothers in those camps are able to access obstetric or antenatal care. Humanitarian organizations are making every effort to bridge gaps.”
2021-03-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/315 (2021) · source
“Let me now turn to the north-east. Cross-line humanitarian assistance to the north-east has scaled up, but needs still surpass our ability to address them. We estimate that 1.8 million people require assistance in areas of north-eastern Syria outside the control of the Government. More than 70 per cent of them are considered to be in extreme need — well above the national average. Reputable aid organizations tell us that the availability and accessibility of health care in the north-east is insufficient. Few health issues are adequately addressed due to the limited functionality and capacity of health-care facilities, a lack of adequately trained medical staff and shortages of essential medicines.”
2021-03-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/315 (2021) · source
“It said: “We are 130 Syrian women: teachers, engineers, doctors and housewives. We are all civilians who have lived a full decade in the war in all its details. As women, mothers and those responsible for our families, we stand against stopping a cross-border resolution. We do not want our children to starve.” We have also continued to try to seek agreement, as we have for more than a year, on cross-line deliveries to the north-west. I again updated the Council on that last month (see S/2021/206). The various parties have each recently described arrangements that they could accept but we have yet to find an approach on which everyone can agree. The discussions continue. While we deliver 1,000 trucks a month of aid into the north-west cross-border, we have yet to see even a single truck just once cross-line.”
2021-03-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/315 (2021) · source
“That is because the people paying for it — mostly Western and Gulf donors — have been clear that they will do so only if they are sure that the resources are not being diverted to terrorist groups. We know that aid gets to the people whom it is supposed to. Some people have suggested that aid must be being diverted, because otherwise we would not see the kind of malnutrition that we now observe. That, too, is wrong. The reason that there is so much malnutrition is that the cross-border operation is too small to prevent it. More money and more border crossings would address that. People in north-western Syria know that the Council will shortly be deciding the future of the cross-border programme. Last week, my Office received a letter from women’s groups in Idlib.”
2021-03-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/315 (2021) · source
“We estimate that more than 75 per cent of them depend on aid to meet their basic needs. The cross- border operation reaches almost 85 per cent of those people every month. The proportions vary depending on the type of assistance. For example, the United Nations provides the vast majority of emergency food assistance. Between 70 and 80 per cent of that is delivered by the World Food Programme. The United Nations also plays a major role in supporting others providing assistance. Many NGO operations rely on the United Nations for support in logistics, financing and procurement. The United Nations cross-border operation is one of the most heavily scrutinized and monitored aid operations in the world.”
2021-03-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/315 (2021) · source
“To put the impact of an attack such as that into perspective, let me outline the extent to which people in north-western Syria depend on cross-border aid. There are apparently some misconceptions about the scale of the United Nations role. At a Security Council meeting earlier this year, it was suggested that the United Nations cross-border operation accounts for 10 per cent of the assistance. I was recently asked about that informally and said that I thought the number was in fact around 40 per cent. When I reported that conversation to my staff, they said that I had got the number wrong. “So it is not 40 per cent?” I said. “No”, they said. “Well what is it then?” I said. “We think it is nearer 50 per cent”, they said. There are more than 4 million people in north-western Syria.”
2021-03-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/315 (2021) · source
“On 21 March, the same day as the attack on the Al-Atarib hospital, multiple air-to-surface missiles hit the road leading to Bab Al-Hawa border crossing in northern Idlib. Around 1,000 trucks of United Nations assistance cross through Bab Al-Hawa each month, as authorized by the Security Council under resolution 2533 (2020). One missile struck a lot where trucks used for transporting humanitarian supplies were parked. Twenty-four trucks were destroyed or damaged. The air strikes also started a fire in a nearby non-governmental organization (NGO) warehouse, which stored food and other humanitarian supplies. A quarter of the stocks, amounting to aid for more than 4,000 people, were destroyed.”
2021-03-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/315 (2021) · source
“A major security operation, involving large numbers of military personnel, began in Al-Hol on Sunday, with the stated intention of restoring security in the camp. The exercise has forced the suspension of many humanitarian services. Residents, including children, are being screened and their tents searched. Security must be provided in a manner that does not endanger residents or violate their rights and that does not restrict humanitarian access. There are almost 40,000 foreign and Syrian children at Al-Hol. More than 30,000 of them are younger than 12 years old. It is entirely unacceptable that they remain in that unsafe environment. Countries of origin should take their nationals home. My next point is humanitarian access.”
2021-03-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/315 (2021) · source
“The location of the hospital was well known to the warring parties. The United Nations has supported it for several years. Its location was reported again to the parties on 1 March. It was obviously a deliberate attack, and Council members will all have seen the statement that the Secretary-General issued. Moving on, I have expressed my concern to the Council before about the increasing insecurity at the Al-Hol camp. A Médecins sans Frontières staff member there was killed while off duty in their tent on 24 February. Insecurity at Al-Hol has now reached intolerable levels, threatening our ability to operate. Forty-one residents have been murdered since the beginning of the year. The de facto authorities in the north-east are responsible for providing security in the camp.”
2021-03-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/315 (2021) · source
“My update today covers three main three points: first, the protection of civilians; secondly, humanitarian access; and, thirdly, the assistance that humanitarian organizations are providing across Syria. Just over a week ago, at least 30 communities in northern Syria were attacked by artillery shells and air strikes. Artillery shells hit Al-Atarib Surgical Hospital, forcing it to be evacuated and closed. Two boys, cousins, aged 10 and 12 years old, were among the patients killed. Five medical staff are among the injured. Two of them remain in critical condition. Al-Atarib Surgical Hospital, like many others, was built underground to escape attacks like that. It seems grotesque that hospitals, which are protected under international humanitarian law, should have to operate underground but that is the reality in Syria.”
2021-03-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/315 (2021) · source
“The Syrian pound fell to its lowest point ever against the dollar this month. Because food is imported, one consequence is that food prices are at unprecedented levels. A consequence of that is that more than 12 million people no longer have reliable access to food, and the consequence of that is growing hunger and malnutrition, especially among children. Ms. Fore will speak more about that. Several doctors in different parts of Syria have told me that they are seeing many cases of malnutrition, even among breastfed children, and the situation is getting worse. A displaced father of 11 children told me the other day that they had all dropped out of school to look for work to help feed the family.”
2021-03-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/315 (2021) · source
“I am pleased to brief the Security Council today alongside Henrietta Fore as well as Dr. Amani Ballour. I was privileged to meet Dr. Ballour when she visited New York in 2019, and we are lucky to hear from her today. As Council members all know, the conflict in Syria is now 10 years old — a decade of death, destruction, displacement, disease, dread and despair. I have spoken to Syrians in many parts of the country in recent weeks. They see no respite, and they are right. Our latest humanitarian overview, which my Office released last week, shows that needs are higher than ever. We estimate that 13.4 million people across all parts of Syria require humanitarian aid, that is, 20 per cent more than last year. The deep economic decay from a decade of war has deepened further over the past year, not least as a result of the pandemic.”
2021-03-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/315 (2021) · source
“But the parties need to engage in the peace process as well and, in order to do that, Ansar Allah has to stop the dangerous Ma’rib offensive. The fuel blockade on Al-Hudaydah needs to end, commercial goods must be let in and Yemen needs a nationwide ceasefire — not just in Ma’rib but across the country — and, to say it again, a return to the political process.”
2021-03-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/266 (2021) · source
“And this again contributes to the protractive process of prolonged starvation I described earlier. Let me, finally, reinforce what Martin said about the need for progress towards peace. And I again repeat that, in our view, the renewed United States commitment to a diplomatic solution and the United States focus on the humanitarian tragedy of Yemen does provide the best opportunity we have seen for years to resolve the conflict, get the parties to the table and find a way forward for the people in the country. And that is still true despite the recent escalation. But that opportunity needs to be taken. It will not be possible to take it if Yemen tips into a huge famine, so we have to stop the famine.”
2021-03-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/266 (2021) · source
“Now the Government has blocked all commercial fuel imports to Al-Hudaydah, through which more than half of Yemen’s fuel imports come. All of those imports have been blocked since January. And right now, there are 13 fuel ships waiting outside Al-Hudaydah, carrying enough supplies for about two months. On average, those ships have been waiting more than 80 days for Government clearance. All of them, by the way, have been inspected and cleared by the United Nations Verification and Inspection Mechanism. You are all familiar with the origins of this problem — the dispute between the Government and Ansar Allah over revenue. But the consequences of this, as always in Yemen, are not borne by those making the decisions. The consequences are borne by ordinary Yemenis.”
2021-03-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/266 (2021) · source
“And I do really urge Yemen’s partners to address this request with the seriousness and importance that it deserves. The other issue that needs to be addressed relates to the blockade of commercial imports, which Martin referred to, especially the decision by the Government of Yemen and others not to allow fuel into Al-Hudaydah. Fuel, as everybody knows and understands, is essential if you want to transport food, or pump water or keep hospitals open. Fuel prices have doubled or tripled in some areas as a result of the desperate shortages that there now are. And that, of course, is also pushing up prices of food and health care and everything else. We have, in fact, seen more reports of health facilities closing down in the last several weeks because they have run out of fuel.”
2021-03-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/266 (2021) · source
“Again, building on what Martin said, because the economic collapse is a major driver of the ongoing progress and expansion of the potentially huge famine. The economic collapse also fuels instability, by the way, as is evidenced by the recent protests which Martin referred. There are two straightforward things to do to mitigate the dire straits of Yemen’s economy. The first is to strengthen the currency, the Yemeni rial, which slipped again into an alarming depreciation in recent months, which means that more and more people can no longer afford food or other essential items. We know that, in the past, the provision of foreign exchange has stabilized the currency, and we know it can do it again. And I have discussed this in detail with the Prime Minister and others in the Government, and we know they want help in this area.”
2021-03-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/266 (2021) · source
“And we urge all of the authorities across the country to reduce the hurdles that humanitarian agencies face in helping those people. Let me say a few words next on humanitarian access. The Government of Yemen has been working with us recently to address several ongoing concerns, all which I talked about before, on things like project approvals and other administrative constraints. They have also been working with us in a crucial way on preparing for a planned coronavirus disease vaccination campaign. We continue to face many obstacles in the north. Last year, as we told you previously, we did see important improvements on key issues such as assessments and biometric targeting. And that process needs to continue. I want to say a few words about the economic situation.”
2021-03-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/266 (2021) · source
“But what we are worried about is that, if the escalation continues, the numbers of people will mount exponentially. And, as Martin also said, hostilities in Ma’rib have also set off escalations elsewhere, notably in Taiz, Al-Hudaydah and Hajjah. I also want to echo everything Martin said about the plight of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants. I completely agree with everything he said to you about the devastating fire that ripped through an overcrowded migrant detention centre in Sana’a on 7 March. But we also saw, on 4 March, at least 20 people drown when human traffickers forced dozens of passengers to jump off a crowded boat bound for Yemen. And that was the third such drowning in six months. And, as Martin said, everybody in Yemen, wherever they originate from, is entitled to protection and support.”
2021-03-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/266 (2021) · source
“And it will mean that we will not reverse the protracted process of prolonged starvation that millions of people across Yemen have been subject to, ending in their death, especially for women and children, an experience I have described to you before. So what we had on 1 March was a down payment, and more efforts will be needed. Of course, money is not the only factor. I want to echo everything Martin Griffiths said about the Ansar Allah offensive in Ma’rib. Particularly, we are concerned about the 1 million people who already fled from other places to Ma’rib. There is additional displacement already as a result of the ongoing onslaught. It is, at the moment, at a relatively low level — about 15,000 people — as a result of the current battle.”
2021-03-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/266 (2021) · source
“We and my colleagues in the leadership of the humanitarian system have been warning you for a long time now that Yemen is speeding towards a massive famine and that the main reason that things have got so much worse on the humanitarian side is because of the shortage of resources. As you know, on 1 March, the Secretary-General convened a pledging event for Yemen, co-hosted by Sweden and Switzerland. Several donors, including Canada, France, Germany and Japan, pledged more than ever at that event. I released another $40 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund, and the Yemen Humanitarian Fund just allocated $73 million. All together, the event on 1 March raised $1.7 billion. But that is less than half of what we need for this year’s response plan. It is nearly $1 billion less than we received in 2019.”
2021-03-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/266 (2021) · source
“I also note that activities undertaken by the United Nations country team under the Strategic Framework are complementary to the humanitarian response plan in order to save lives, enhance protection and increase resilience and access to services, including through the rehabilitation of critical civilian infrastructure, which serve a crucial humanitarian function. This is essential at a time when the economy continues to suffer severe decline, poverty and hunger are on the rise, and humanitarian needs are increasing.”
2021-02-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/206 (2021) · source
“It reconfirms core humanitarian principles, ensuring that the principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence lie at the core or our work. Ultimately, all United Nations operations in Syria are conducted in full compliance with resolutions adopted by the Security Council and with other relevant decisions, including General Assembly resolutions 46/182 and 75/233, on the quadrennial comprehensive policy review of operational activities for development of the United Nations system.”
2021-02-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/206 (2021) · source
“As the drafting process proceeds, the Parameters and Principles of United Nations Assistance in Syria document serves as a key internal guidance tool to help target the operations of the United Nations country team in what remains a very complex context. The Parameters and Principles were formulated through a consultative process, drawing on existing mandates, and shared within the United Nations system to ensure that support and assistance are provided to those in need in all areas of Syria in an equitable and non-discriminatory manner, with a needs-based approach upholding neutrality and impartiality. The document is consistent with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and relevant Security Council resolutions.”
2021-02-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/206 (2021) · source