Look Who it Was Random video

Death toll continues to mount in Syria, UN relief chief tells Security Council

650 views · Published 13 December 2018 · 9:28 · Indexed 3 October 2026

Channel: United Nations · 2018 · News & Politics

Watch on YouTube

Briefing by Mr. Mark Lowcock, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator (OCHA), on the situation in the Middle East during the 8422nd meeting of the Security Council.

The UN Security Council adopted a resolution renewing the authorization for cross-border aid deliveries into Syria, which was described by the UN humanitarian chief as a critical lifeline for millions of people. 

The Council adopted resolution 2449 to extend the authorization for an additional 12 months with 13 votes in favour and two abstentions, Russia and China. Addressing the Council following the vote, UN humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock welcomed the decision adding that cross-border aid provides a critical lifeline for millions of Syrians who cannot be supported through other means. 

Lowcock said the situation in the north-west of Syria, where some three million people remain dependent on humanitarian cross-border operations, remained very challenging. He noted that recent hostilities in the area had reportedly forced nearly 15,000 people to flee their homes, with many people living in the open without adequate shelter. He said Idlib remained “on the edge of a humanitarian disaster; should there be a further escalation of violence, the needs would quickly overwhelm the ability of humanitarian agencies to respond.” He called on the parties to the conflict to spare the civilian population, “while at the same time taking all possible measures to see that the violence in Idlib ends, and that the humanitarian catastrophe the Secretary-General has warned of does not come to pass.”

Lowcock expressed concern about the more than 40,000 people in Rukban, where there were continued reports of civilian suffering and death. He said the deployment of a UN convoy in early November showed that when there is political will, humanitarian organizations can mobilize quickly and provide aid to those in need. He called on all concerned parties to provide all necessary measures for another delivery to the area later this month. 

The humanitarian chief said an estimated 8.7 million people under Government control were in need of humanitarian assistance. He said, “A key priority has been addressing the needs of the most vulnerable in locations that have seen shifts in control. Some 1.6 million people live in areas that have changed control since the beginning of the year. Some areas have suffered for years under siege, have been impacted by intense military activity prior to changing control, or have seen no resumption of basic services since changing control.”

More from this channel