Situation in Syria 'worst ever': UN special envoy

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen on Thursday said the situation in the war-torn country is "the worst ever."

"We are not seeing a status quo, we are seeing a worsening of the situation. And the situation in Syria ... is the worst ever," Pedersen said at a news conference after addressing the Security Council on the situation in the Middle East.

"You know, we have had 13 years of war and conflict and never has the situation been as bad as it is today, in particular when it comes to the economy."

Syria has been locked in a vicious civil war since early 2011 when the Bashar al-Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests with unexpected ferocity.

The security situation is impacted by what is happening in the Gaza Strip, Pedersen said, warning that there is a "real danger" of further escalation.

"Nine out of 10 living in poverty, close to 17 million people in need of humanitarian assistance. And on top of it, there is absolutely no progress on the political front," he added.

Asked whether he is frustrated with the members of the Security Council for "not doing enough" to tackle the war, Pedersen said there is "a lack of willingness from the international community to move in the credible manner so that we can solve these issues."

"And this, of course, is also impacting all the work we're doing on Syria, and as you rightly said, during 14 years, we have made very, very little progress, and this is extremely disturbing," he added.

The UN has a commitment to the Syrian people, Pedersen said when questioned why he is still keeping his post despite "no progress made" in Syria.

"We can never give up, and you need to be persistent. You need to be patient, but you need to make sure that you move steadily towards a possible solution. And I think that's my duty that and that's my job. And as long as I think it's possible to move forward on that, then of course, I and the United Nations, we will, we will continue," he added.