The IOM director said the transition to Syria could fail if the lifeline of support is delayed
“We do not promote large-scale profits; Frankly, communities are not ready to accommodate those displaced and will return home…it will overwhelm the country,” Amy Pope, Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM). “Many people have returned to find their homes reduced to rubble,” she noted.
Speaking in Geneva shortly after returning from Damascus, where she held talks with representatives of the caretaker government, Ms. Pope described 14 years of war that had destroyed “hospitals, schools, community centers” and How about many other things?
“Rebuilding homes is only part of the solution, but [Syrians] also need access to health care and essential services to feel safe and lay the foundation for recovery.”
More than half of Syria’s population is displaced, about 16.7 million people need humanitarian assistance and more than six million Syrian refugees have sought refuge abroad.
Capital needs ‘huge’
“The need for funding – both financial resources, political resources – will be huge,” continued Ms Pope, confirming that IOM “will be part of any effort to help resolve the situation there”, including even the possibility of happening at an upcoming meeting. The Syria reconstruction conference is planned by the French Government in January.
However, the task of rebuilding and investing in Syria after Hayat-Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) fighters and others overthrew the Assad regime, remains complicated by sanctions imposed by the United States and the United Nations. imposed by the European Union, following the violent repression of pro-democracy protests in 2011 that escalated into civil war.
On Thursday, UN Secretary General António Guterres called for international solidarity with the Syrians “until the conditions for the lifting of all sanctions” imposed by the member states that imposed them are met, stressing the urgent need to provide humanitarian aid and support efforts to rebuild the economy.
Echoing that call, IOM’s Ms. Pope described the impact of sanctions in Syria, where “people don’t have access to cash…they don’t have access to credit.”
Goods are traded rather than bought and wages are “extremely low and often insufficient to meet their most basic needs… So to rebuild the situation, it will be necessary to reassess sanctions.” that’s a penalty.”.”
Human rights must come first
Also holding a press conference in Geneva, the United Nations human rights office (OHCHR) Spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan emphasized that “whoever is in power, the duty of states remains the same and that is to protect all human rights for all Syrians.”. When it comes to sanctions, it is important that any sanctions imposed by any side take into account the importance of humanitarian aid to civilians.. This should not be affected in any way.”
Providing insight into her high-level meetings in Damascus, Ms. Pope described a “sense of openness” to the international community and a willingness to engage with that community – a message that “was shared by all.” members of the government’s care resonates with all parties.” , whether they are another member of the diplomatic corps or another member of the United Nations family”.
Mass poverty
IOM has been unable to operate in Syria since 2018. Today, more than 90% of Syrians live below the poverty line and 800,000 people are newly displaced in recent weeks, presenting an enormous new humanitarian emergency.
“Frankly, across the board, we’ve had some pretty serious challenges in meeting those humanitarian needs, largely because of the barriers placed by the Assad government,” Ms. Pope explained. out, but also because of the ongoing conflict.” conflict across Syria.
As important as immediate relief aid is for Syria, the IOM chief said that this aid should be accompanied by “stabilization” of the situation in Syria.
This will need to involve “justice, reparations and inclusivity”, she said, as housing, land and property rights are “key and central to community stability in the context of the returns we predict.”
Health is in danger
Meanwhile, expressing deep concern about the scale of needs and the “enormous difficulties” Syrians still face, the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) has been released an appeal on Friday to raise $56.4 million over the next six months.
Dr. Christina Bethke, Acting WHO Representative in Syria, warned that displaced communities continue to live in overcrowded conditions in camps and official shelters, with too little food and are vulnerable to infectious diseases. respiratory tract as well as other infectious diseases including diarrhea and scabies.
Speaking from Damascus, Dr. Bethke described the mission of a WHO assessment team to Idlib in the northwest of the country. They spoke to “the dedicated surgeons who have worked tirelessly during this escalation over the past three weeks, often under attack, and to save lives. One surgeon shared the words of these patients saying, ‘We can finally sleep at night, no longer worried about being bombarded.’”
Funding for the WHO appeal will maintain vital health services during the transition period, including 141 health facilities in northwestern Syria that are at risk of “imminent closure in the coming weeks” due to shortages. resources.
“The health infrastructure is being severely overwhelmed and we have seen in just three weeks of this escalation, 36 attacks on health care facilities have been reported and More than half of the country’s hospitals are not functioning.”
