UN says Syria crisis 'becoming more entrenched with time'

By Merve Aydogan

HAMILTON, Canada (AA) - The UN on Thursday warned of the worsening crisis in Syria, as the special envoy highlighted the increasing entrenchment of the conflict and its far-reaching implications.

"The Syrian people remain trapped in the profound crisis, which is becoming more entrenched with time," Syria Geir Pedersen said at a UN Security Council session on Syria.

Saying that the situation is "just not tragic" but also "dangerous," Pedersen warned that the absence of a thorough political process allows various detrimental trends to fester, posing grave risks for Syrians and the wider international community.

He emphasized that the crisis is evidenced by recent reports of Israeli airstrikes inside Syria, alongside rocket and drone attacks from Syrian territory targeting Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and Israel.

"We urgently need deescalation across all theatres of the Syrian conflict. Obviously, regional de-escalation efforts, starting with a humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza is absolutely essential," he said, urging all actors to commit to international humanitarian law and protect civilians.

Noting the long-term effect of the conflict on Syria's younger generation, Pedersen said: "We are already seeing a second generation of children deprived or continued access to education, or subjected to entirely different curriculum, threatening children's futures the unity of Syria and fueling the potential for radicalism, all at the same time."

Pedersen sounded the alarm on the critical economic situation in Syria, saying: "There is no sign of serious the catastrophic economic situation improving."

He commented on the stalled political process, as he called for the resumption of the Constitutional Committee's meetings to bring Syrian parties together to address underlying issues driving the conflict.

"Despite my best and ongoing efforts, its meetings have yet to resume.”

He reaffirmed his commitment to finding alternative venues to Geneva for talks to garner consensus from all those involved.

Calling for a new and more comprehensive approach to the crisis that involves all key international actors, Pedersen said: "No actor on its own can solve the crisis, and none of the existing diplomatic groupings can either. Constructive international diplomacy with the contribution of all is the only way forward."

UN relief chief Martin Griffiths echoed Pedersen and stressed the severity of the crisis.

Nothing that more than 7 million people remain displaced across Syria, he said "millions of others continue to be refugees in neighboring countries."

Saying that the crossline deliveries in northwest Syria remain "challenging," he said, "We've gone nearly a year now without such a mission."

He expressed concerns about the protection of civilians and noted that Syrian women and girls continue to face "negative coping mechanisms, appalling levels of gender-based violence."

"Perhaps one of the biggest concerns for the months and years to come relates to underfunding for the humanitarian response as humanitarian needs continue to rise in Syria as the poverty line," he noted.