UN 'remain committed to staying and delivering' in Syria amid resumption of conflict

​​​​​​​By Merve Aydogan

HAMILTON, Canada (AA) - The UN on Tuesday pledged a commitment to remain in Syria amid the recently escalating conflict in the northwest.

"This is the most significant escalation of hostilities witnessed in Syria since 2019," said Adam Abdelmoula, resident and humanitarian coordinator in Syria, during a virtual news conference.

Calling on all sides to "prioritize the protection of civilians as well as humanitarian personnel, facilities and assets," Abdelmoula, who is currently in Damascus, emphasized the importance of the safety and security of aid personnel.

"The UN and its partners remain committed to staying and delivering, and we are organizing to undertake assessments and expand the response as soon as possible, in whichever way possible," he said.

Asked about the safety of UN personnel, he said: "We have over 152 staff members national and international currently in Aleppo."

Despite communicating with the anti-regime force, Hay'et Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), to ensure the safety of staff in Aleppo, he said that "some of them still don't feel safe."

"We are organizing a relocation for them, but we made it clear to everyone that we will maintain our capacity thereby deploying people who can work in this kind of environment," he added.

Abdelmoula noted that currently, it is the "largest funding shortfall" to the humanitarian response for Syria, and said the country has received "less than 30% of the $4.1 billion humanitarian appeal for 2024."

Ramanathan Balakrishnan, the UN’s regional humanitarian coordinator for the Syria crisis, reminded all parties "of their obligations under the international humanitarian law."

Echoing his colleague's call for the protection of civilians and aid workers, Balakrishnan stated that there are "tens of thousands of people displaced, and these displacements are happening along various axis."

He commented on the shortfall of the funding, and said "It has never been so underfunded in the history, if my memory serves me right."

"Such a gap in humanitarian funding is bound to increase the suffering of the most vulnerable and will have significant consequences for the region," he said.

Telling member states that it "is not the time to reduce funding to Syria," he said: "Now is the time to keep the faith and to ensure that the funding for Syria is received in the magnitude that it requires and it deserves, particularly given the recent escalations."