Prolonged human suffering in Syria "for years to come"

The UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Stephen O'Brien, has warned of the worsening humanitarian conditions in Syria and a prolonging of the crisis, should the Geneva 4 talks between Syrian government officials and opposition representatives fail to reach a political agreement.

In a statement to the Security Council on the humanitarian situation in Syria, Mr. O'Brien spoke on the conditions in the devastated nation, where 13.5 million people are in dire need of protection and humanitarian assistance.

"Nearly 85 percent of Syrians live in poverty, with more than two thirds of the population in either extreme or abject poverty. Over 12.8 million people in Syria require health assistance and more than seven million are 'food insecure' amidst rising prices and food shortages. Households spend up to a quarter of their income just on water. Total wheat production in 2016 was 1.3 million metric tonnes, a reduction of 45 percent relative to 2015, and 63 percent relative to pre-crisis levels," said the Under-Secretary-General of UNOCHA.

O'Brien added that the displacement of the Syrian population continued unabated with an average of over 5,000 people displaced per day between January and December 2016, with some being displaced more than once. "Over half of all Syrians have been forced from their homes since 2011, 6.3 million of whom are internally displaced, more than 4.9 million registered as refugees in neighbouring countries, and nearly 1.2 million Syrians have applied for asylum in Europe," he continued.

Next month will mark six years of war that have devastated a nation, its people, and its children, O'Brien said in his statement to the UNSC, emphasising the severe impact the war has had on the young. "Children caught up in this war have fared the worst, they have been killed and maimed, they have lost parents to the violence, suffered physical and psychological trauma, forced into early marriages and now they have fallen years behind in schooling," he said.

In his concluding remarks, O'Brien stressed the importance of a genuine political commitment to peace in order that any meaningful action and constructive engagement by the Syrian parties and their allies can take place to assure Syrians that an end to the conflict may, finally, be within reach.