21 April 2025
“Today, we have a
new Syria, one that’s brimming with hope and opportunity,”
David Carden told journalists at UN Headquarters in New
York.
He warned, however, that “while the levels of
conflict have subsided in many parts of the country, the
humanitarian crisis in Syria is far from over,” as 16
million people require
assistance.
Cross-border
mechanism
The country is on a path to
political transition following the overthrow of the Assad
regime last December and the end of nearly 14 years of civil
war. The country and neighbouring Türkiye were also hit by
deadly earthquakes in February 2023.
The UN is working
with the transitional authorities in Damascus to develop
more efficient procedures for aid delivery, address issues
such as the lack of public funding, and further streamline
procedures.
Mr. Carden was speaking from across the
Turkish border in Gazantiep, where a UN mechanism has
delivered aid into northwest Syria and beyond for over a
decade.
He announced that his position will be
officially abolished as of Tuesday – part of the UN’s
transition efforts aimed at streamlining coordinated
response in Syria under the Resident and Humanitarian
Coordinator in Damascus, by the end of June.
The
current structure – which he later noted was “rather
unique in the global context” – involved having
different coordinators outside Syria supporting the delivery
of assistance into the country.
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More than aid
delivery
The top official briefed on the
accomplishments of the cross-border mechanism, which was
authorized by the UN Security
Council in July 2014 to allow aid into areas in
northwest Syria that were not under government control and
home to more than four million people.
The operation
has facilitated the delivery of more than 62,000 trucks of
food, medical supplies, emergency shelter and other aid,
reaching millions of Syrians each month.
“So
far this year, the UN has dispatched 936 trucks with aid for
all of Syria through this cross-border modality, which is
more than the whole of last year,” he
said.
Humanitarian support extended far beyond the
delivery of relief items, he added.
Over the years,
the UN and partners have helped Syrians to rebuild their
livelihoods while also advocating for the protection of
civilians in the face of constant shelling and air strikes.
They also carried out other activities, including
rehabilitating homes, schools and hospitals, and providing
critical health education and protection
services.
Additionally, the
Syria Cross-border Humanitarian Fund has allocated
nearly $1.1 billion for life-saving and early recovery
projects.
‘Times have
changed’
Mr. Carden said this was possible
through the continuous support of donors and the
international community, particularly the Government of
Türkiye which has been very supportive of the cross-border
mechanism.
“Now, times have changed,” he said,
pointing to the 16 million in need in Syria, or some 70 per
cent of the population. Most are women and children, and
over 40 per cent are in the northwestern cities of Idlib and
Aleppo.
Furthermore, despite a gradual increase in
Syrian returnees this year, some seven million people are
displaced making it among the world’s largest displacement
crises.
Displacement and
devastation
“Since last December, more than
one million internally displaced people have returned, but
most of whom were displaced in the last two months of
2024,” he said.
“Around 225,000 people have
departed from camps, but this still represents only
a small fraction of the two million people living in camps
across northwest and northeast Syria.”
Last
month, Mr. Carden visited a former frontline area in Idlib
and spoke to returnees as well as aid partners working to
clear minefields and destroy explosive remnants of war. The
devastation there “was absolutely overwhelming and
more severe than anything I witnessed following the
2023 earthquakes,” he said.
Meanwhile, the
UN and partners “are doing what they can with the
resources available,” but lack of funding is deeply
alarming.
Invest in
Syria
Humanitarians are seeking $2 billion to
support Syrians through the end of June and have so far
secured just $179 million – less than nine per cent of the
funding needed.
“This is the time to invest
in Syria, as the country is in a pivotal stage of transition
to help shape a more self-reliant future for its people and
to support safe and dignified returns,” said Mr.
Carden.
He expressed hope that “the humanitarian
phase will be as short as possible so we can move towards
recovery and reconstruction and, in that context,
see the further easing of
sanctions.”
