COVID-19 Pandemic, Economic Collapse Worsen Humanitarian Disaster in Syria

UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen delivered a statement to the UN Security Council yesterday in which he expressed cautious optimism about the Constitutional committee talks in Geneva, but expressed concern about a series of violent and potentially violent incidents. He also issued a strong warning about the humanitarian situation in Syria. “The COVID-19 pandemic is emerging as a major challenge for the Syrian people, who are acutely vulnerable after 10 years of conflict,” Pedersen said. “As Under-Secretary-General [Mark] Lowcock told you two days ago: reports from inside Syria continue to point to a much broader spread of COVID-19 than the number of confirmed cases conveys. In some areas, existing healthcare facilities have faced challenges in absorbing all suspected cases — particularly as healthcare workers, already in short supply, are themselves struck with the virus. Syrian refugees, both inside and outside camps, remain at great risk as well.”