The United States is frustrated with the stalled effort to achieve a political solution in Syria, said Ambassador Robert Wood, U.S. Alternative Representative for Special Political Affairs at the United Nations. He urged all Security Council members to call on the Syrian regime to finally engage in the political process in good faith.
In the meantime, the humanitarian situation in Syria remains bleak. More than 16 million people in Syria depend on assistance, with 10.8 million of the most vulnerable requiring immediate, life-saving aid, explained Ambassador Wood:
“These staggering numbers confirm once again what the humanitarian assistance community and the Syrian people have been saying for years: not enough aid is getting to those who need it. The 90-day arrangement with the Syrian regime for UN access through Bab Al-Salam and Bab Al-Rai crossings expires in a few weeks. These two crossings have provided important capacity and enabled faster, more efficient aid deliveries to communities in need, on top of the vital crossing at Bab Al-Hawa. The six-month arrangement for that crossing expires in July.”
Extending these arrangements at the last minute is no way to address the daunting scale and persistence of humanitarian needs in Syria, declared Ambassador Wood.
With regard to detentions and missing persons, Ambassador Wood welcomed the recent funding of the Independent Institution for Missing Persons in Syria. Families deserve to know the fates and whereabouts of over 155,000 missing or arbitrarily detained persons in Syria by all parties to the conflict.
Ambassador Wood reiterated his deep concerns that the Syrian regime has allowed Iranian-aligned militia groups to operate on its territory while Iran continues to provide these militias with advanced weapons, intelligence support, financial aid, and training.
“Iran’s militant proxies and partners only seek to advance their own destabilizing agenda and it is clear the Syrian people increasingly resent their presence. To prevent further escalation in Syria and neighboring countries, the United States will continue to work with our diplomatic partners towards resolving all the tensions in the region.”
The Syrian people have suffered for far too long, and their increasingly dire plight demands a robust response from the international community.
“We must recommit ourselves,” said Ambassador Wood, “to providing the necessary funding, political will, and collective action to help Syrians who are in desperate need.”
