Humanitarian situation in Syria: OCHA
/
2:21
/
MP4
/
172.4 MB

Press Conferences , Edited News | OCHA

OCHA Press Conference: Syria humanitarian situation - 22 March 2024

As aid funding dries up, Syria conflict remains among deadliest to civilians

A UN official on Friday appealed for about $4 billion in humanitarian assistance for Syria, warning that funding was almost non-existent and that the Gaza war has had spillover effects adding to the suffering of the Syrian people.

“The Syria crisis remains one of the most deadly to civilians in the world. Hostilities continue to plague various parts of Syria and have recently seen a sharp spike, especially in the north,” said Adam Abdelmoula, UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in Syria, speaking from Damascus to a press briefing at the United Nations in Geneva.

From 1 January to 31 December 2023, 454 civilians, including 88 women and 115 children, were killed as a result of the conflict. The Syria war began 13 years ago, and since then the needs of the people have grown exponentially.

Today, a staggering 16.7 million people require some form of humanitarian assistance in Syria – an increase from 15.3 million in 2023 and 14.6 million in 2022. Over 7 million people are internally displaced and nearly as many are refugees in other countries (a majority are in the neighboring countries, Jordan, Lebanon, Türkiye, etc.). At least 12.9 million people are food insecure across the country.

As of the beginning of March, only 0.02 percent of the 2024 humanitarian response plan requirements had secured funding.

Syria's vulnerability to climate shocks, exacerbated by conflict, includes water scarcity and the devastating earthquakes in February last year wreaked havoc on a situation that was already catastrophic. The earthquakes killed some 6,000 people and injured more than 12,800 in Syria, increasing the strain on services, causing displacement and inflicting widespread damage.

In addition, the ongoing escalation in Gaza, the West Bank, Israel and south Lebanon had already had spillover effects, including on affected populations and critical civilian infrastructure across Syria.

“Since the escalation in Gaza begun, we have already seen multiple calls by ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) inciting revenge attacks worldwide, including against Arab governments whom they accuse of ‘protecting Israel’ “, said Mr. Abdelmoula.

He added that “there has been a significant increase in the air attacks by the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) targeting various elements that are here in the Syrian territory. And … that has led to displacement of populations in the targeted areas.”

The targeting of airports in Syria has also impacted humanitarian air services which led to the cancellation of almost 50 humanitarian flights in 2023.

“Syrians are increasingly driven to desperate measures as they undertake treacherous journeys to other countries in search of opportunities,” said the UN official. “In many cases, they paid the ultimate price for these dangerous endeavors. No human being should have to risk his or her life in search of a decent life.”

Urging countries to act even "out of sheer national self-interest”, he warned that “we could see a situation where migration to Europe will increase. I hasten to say that in 2023 we have seen 181,000 new applications for asylum in Europe and that represents 38 per cent compared to 2022.”

Despite the complex operating environment in Syria, UN and humanitarian partners were able to reach 6.8 million people in need every month in 2023.

-ends-

STORY: Humanitarian Situation in Syria – OCHA

TRT: 2:21”

SOURCE: UNTV CH

RESTRICTIONS: NONE

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

ASPECT RATIO: 16:9

DATELINE: 22 March 2024 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

1. Med shot: UN flag alley

2. Wide shot: speaker at the podium with journalists in press room

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Adam Abdelmoula, UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in Syria (from Damascus): “There has been a significant increase in the air attacks by the IDF targeting various elements that are here in the Syrian territory. And second, and that has led to displacement of populations in the targeted areas.”

4. Med shot: speaker at the podium filmed from behind during the press conference

5. SOUNDBITE (English) – Adam Abdelmoula, UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in Syria (from Damascus): “The Syria crisis remains one of the most deadly to civilians in the world. Hostilities continue to plague various parts of Syria and have recently seen a sharp spike, especially in the north.”

6. Wide shot: press room with speaker on screens

7. SOUNDBITE (English) – Adam Abdelmoula, UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in Syria (from Damascus): “Since the escalation in Gaza begun, we have already seen multiple calls by ISIS inciting revenge attacks worldwide, including against Arab governments whom they accuse of ‘protecting Israel’.”

8. Med shot, journalist in press room and screen with speaker

9. SOUNDBITE (English) - Adam Abdelmoula, UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in Syria (from Damascus): “Syrians are increasingly driven to desperate measures as they undertake treacherous journeys to other countries in search of opportunities. In many cases, they paid the ultimate price for these dangerous endeavors. No human being should have to risk his or her life in search of a decent life.”

10. Wide shot: Press room with staff managing zoom

11. SOUNDBITE (English) - Adam Abdelmoula, UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in Syria (from Damascus): “We could see a situation where migration to Europe will increase. I hasten to say that in 2023 we have seen 181,000 new applications for asylum in Europe and that represents 38 per cent compared to 2022.”

12. Med shot, zoom operators behind window

13. Wide shot: press room with screens STORYLINE


Audio Files 2
Download OCHA Press Conference: Syria humanitarian situation - 22 March 2024 (Continuity)
Download
Download Humanitarian situation in Syria: OCHA (Edited Story)
Download

Similar Stories

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on escalating violence in DRC

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on escalating violence in DRC ENG FRA

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Friday warned of the risk of the violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo escalating throughout the Great Lakes sub-region, following the recent takeover of Goma city by the Rwandan-backed M23 armed group.

DR Congo - Human Rights Council  Special Session

1

1

1

Edited News | HRC

DR Congo - Human Rights Council Special Session ENG FRA

UN human rights chief Volker Türk expressed profound concerns at the ongoing violent escalation in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) caused by the ongoing Rwanda-backed M23 offensive. “If nothing is done, the worst may be yet to come, for the people of the eastern DRC, but also beyond the country’s borders,” he told a Special Session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

UN Geneva Press Briefing - 07 February 2025

1

1

1

Press Conferences | UNAIDS , UNICEF , WHO

UN Geneva Press Briefing - 07 February 2025 ENG FRA

Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired a hybrid press briefing, which was attended by the representatives and spokespersons of UNAIDS, the World Health Organization, and the United Nations Children’s Fund.

US funding cuts impact - UNAIDS

1

1

1

Edited News | UNAIDS

US funding cuts impact - UNAIDS ENG FRA

US aid funding cuts create confusion, put HIV prevention at risk, says UNAIDS 

The US pause in foreign assistance funding has created “a lot of confusion” in community HIV prevention work, despite the waiver issued for HIV/AIDS programmes, the UN agency to combat AIDS (UNAIDS) said on Friday.

US aid funding cuts,  UNFPA - OCHA - UNOG

1

1

1

Edited News | UNFPA , OCHA , UNOG

US aid funding cuts, UNFPA - OCHA - UNOG ENG FRA

UN agencies offered a dire assessment on Tuesday about the global impact of deep cuts to grassroots humanitarian funding by the incoming US administration and reiterated calls for Washington to retain its position as a global aid leader.

UN Geneva Press Briefing - 04 February 2025

1

1

1

Press Conferences | OCHA , UNECE , UNFPA , UNRWA , UNWOMEN , WHO

UN Geneva Press Briefing - 04 February 2025 ENG FRA

Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva, chaired the hybrid briefing, which was attended by spokespersons and representatives from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, the United Nations Population Fund, United Nations Women, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the World Health Organization, the Human Rights Council and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.

OPT humanitarian update  - UNRWA

1

1

1

Edited News | UNRWA

OPT humanitarian update - UNRWA ENG FRA

While West Bank camp is destroyed, UNRWA delivers bulk of aid in Gaza

Large swathes of Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank have been completely destroyed following a series of controlled detonations by the Israeli security forces (ISF), the UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) said on Tuesday.

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence on Human Rights crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence on Human Rights crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo ENG FRA

The UN Human Rights Office on Friday raised the alarm about the growing human rights crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. 

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence and James Rodehaver on fourth year since the coup in Myanmar

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence and James Rodehaver on fourth year since the coup in Myanmar ENG FRA

At the UN bi-weekly press briefing in Geneva, UN Human Rights spokesperson Jeremy Laurence and the head of UN Human Rights Myanmar team James Rodehaver, describedunprecedented levels of killing in 2024, four years since the coup.

UN Geneva Press Briefing - 31 January 2025

1

1

1

Press Conferences | OHCHR , UNCTAD , UNOG , UNRWA , WFP , WHO

UN Geneva Press Briefing - 31 January 2025 ENG FRA

Rolando Gómez, from the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva, chaired the hybrid briefing. In attendance were spokespersons or representatives of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the World Food Programme (WFP), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

OPT Update UNRWA, WHO 31 January 2025

1

1

1

Edited News | WHO , UNRWA

OPT Update UNRWA, WHO 31 January 2025 ENG FRA

The largest UN agency in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, UNRWA, said on Friday that its staff are still helping the people of Gaza and the West Bank including East Jerusalem who depend on them “for their sheer survival”, a day after the Israeli parliament ban on its activities entered into force.

UN Geneva Press Briefing - 28 January 2025

1

1

1

Press Conferences | OCHA , ICRC , WHO , WFP , UNHCR , OHCHR , UNECE

UN Geneva Press Briefing - 28 January 2025 ENG FRA

Alessandra Vellucci of the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva, chaired the hybrid briefing, attended by spokespersons and representatives of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, the World Food Programme, the World Health Organization, and the International Committee of the Red Cross.