UN envoy says Syria ‘demands our collective attention,’ warns of impact from ‘spiraling escalation’

By Merve Aydogan

HAMILTON, Canada (AA) - The UN said Wednesday that the international community urgently needs to focus on Syria amid escalating conflicts in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Gaza and Lebanon.

"Syria demands our collective attention," UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen said at a UN Security Council session, warning that the impact of the "spiraling escalation" in the region is being acutely felt within Syria.

Highlighting the alarming influx of refugees, Pedersen noted that "hundreds of thousands of Syrians and Lebanese have fled Lebanon into Syria, into a country that is itself experiencing an escalating conflict."

He pointed to a significant increase in Israeli airstrikes in Syria.

"The past month has seen the fastest-paced and broadest-ranging campaign of Israeli airstrikes in the last 13 years," he said.

The UN envoy also raised concerns about the impact of Israeli strikes on the crucial road between Beirut and Damascus, saying it has hindered the passage of civilians seeking safety and disrupted commercial activity.

"We are now seeing decreasing commercial traffic and gasoline prices doubling in Syria," he noted.

Pedersen further called for immediate action to prevent further deterioration, saying that "Syria must be sheltered from regional conflict" and emphasized the necessity of deescalating regional tensions.

He warned that ongoing conflicts could threaten fragile cease-fire agreements that have for nearly four years managed to maintain an "imperfect" peace within Syria.

Calling on all parties, including Israel, to comply with international humanitarian law, Pedersen noted the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution.

"These latest developments serve as a stark reminder of Syria’s deep fragility,” he said, noting that "partial, piecemeal or conflict-management approaches alone cannot tackle the scale of the ever-mounting challenges Syria faces."

Edem Wosornu, director of the operations and advocacy division at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), also highlighted the worsening humanitarian crisis in Syria due to escalating hostilities in the region.

Wosornu revealed that since Sept. 23, more than 425,000 people have fled from Lebanon into Syria, with 72% being Syrians and nearly 60% of them children.

"This is adding to an immense and ongoing crisis in Syria," she said, calling for urgent international attention.

She stressed that humanitarian organizations must have "unhindered access to those arriving and to all people in need."

Describing the Syrian crisis as "one of the largest humanitarian crises in the world," she said that more than 16.7 million people are in need and more than 7 million are internally displaced.

"Women and girls continue to bear a disproportionate burden, including heightened risks of gender-based violence," she added.

Despite the rising needs, Wosornu noted that the humanitarian appeal for Syria remains critically underfunded, with just $1.1 billion received—barely a quarter of the required amount.

She also announced that the UN and its partners have finalized an Early Recovery Strategy for 2024-2028 to provide medium-term support alongside immediate humanitarian efforts.

"Syrians have been suffering for far too long," Wosornu said, stressing the urgent need for regional de-escalation and sustainable solutions.