Mr. President,

I thank the Secretary-General for his remarks. I also thank Acting USG Ramesh Rajasingham and Ms. Sherine Ibrahim of Care for their briefings. We must heed their warnings that failing to extend the UN cross-border humanitarian mechanism in Syria will be most harmful.

I also acknowledge the concern of most of the Council members who recognize the critical need for the continuation of lifeline aid operations to alleviate the dire humanitarian situation in Syria.

Let us not forget the conditions that led this Council to authorize the UN cross-border humanitarian operations in 2014.

The Assad regime was ruthlessly killing its own people, and deliberately targeting critical humanitarian infrastructure.

Syrians fled their homeland at a rate of 8 thousand to 14 thousand per day.

In response, this Council established the cross-border mechanism to ensure safe and sustained humanitarian access to the internally displaced people within Syria.

The UN has assumed the leading role in providing aid to the most vulnerable Syrians through the most direct routes in the most rapid way.

Mr. President,

Assad and his supporters committed a series of war crimes and crimes against humanity, and in the subsequent years these criminals have only become more brazen, more shameless.

The destructive war Assad has waged against his own people has become increasingly brutal.

Today, millions of vulnerable people in northwest Syria are still faced with collective punishment. They are struggling to survive in an active war zone. Their only hope for survival is UN delivered aid.

With half of its population displaced, the entire country is in ruins.
The Assad regime, terrorist organization PKK/YPG and its Syrian offshoot the so-called “Syrian Democratic Forces”, continue their systematic violations against civilians.

In March, the Assad regime attacked the Atarib hospital. Just last week, Al Shifa Hospital in Afrin was targeted by PKK/YPG terrorists.

To put this into context, Atarib and Al Shifa hospitals were among the largest health facilities in the region and their coordinates had been shared with relevant parties within the UN deconfliction mechanism.

We strongly condemn these attacks and remind members of the Council that the Security Council is entrusted with the obligation to investigate these grave violations of international humanitarian law and hold the perpetrators accountable.

Mr. President,

Regarding humanitarian implications of the low water level in Euphrates river, let me be clear: We attach great importance to the needs on the ground and keep raising the challenges related to water and electricity disruptions by the regime in Al Bab and terrorist organization PKK/YPG in Alouk.

Similar to other countries in the region, we have been witnessing the adverse impacts of climate change on our water resources.

As of May 2021, Keban Dam, the upstream dam in the Euphrates River within our borders, has witnessed the second lowest dam lake level since the completion of its filling. However, despite this alarming hydrological and climatic reality, the average amount of water we released from Euphrates to downstream in the first half of the year has been over 500 cubic meters per second, which is our contractual obligation. We expect the UN to support downstream countries in addressing water challenges with better water management and agricultural practices.

Mr. President,

Stopping the cross-border mechanism would simply permit the regime and terrorist organizations to increase their campaign of murder to an even higher scale.

An immediate halt in the delivery of UN food assistance, critical medical supplies and other life-saving assistance would threaten the lives of the 4 million people who rely on us to keep them alive.

Furthermore, without the cross-border mechanism, Syrians will not receive their COVID-19 vaccinations.

Without this mechanism, UN agencies will no longer have a mandate to assist NGOs, on the ground, and financially.

Tell me – are you willing to allow the UN, as the largest actor in the humanitarian response in Syria, to disappear, on your watch?

There is no country or entity that has the capacity to emulate such a sophisticated system to monitor aid delivery.

Those who consistently fabricate aid diversion lies and advocate the General Assembly Resolution 46/182 must understand this point: in the absence of the mechanism, humanitarian operations will become less transparent, less accountable, less effective and therefore will be in contradiction with the very same Resolution.

Please also keep in mind that the absence of the cross-border mechanism will undermine the prospects for a political solution, for it will not be possible to fully implement the Security Council Resolution 2254.

Mr. President,

Again, today we have heard from those promoting cross-line access only.

I remind you that one of the reasons leading the Council to adopt Resolution 2165 was the consistent obstruction by the regime of critical humanitarian supplies in many parts of the country.

Reporting by the United Nations and several NGOs have detailed the conditions and highly restricted humanitarian space following the closure of Al Yarubiyah crossing point in the northeast, an area that is supposed to be reached through cross-line access.

Let me set the record straight once again: cross-line assistance can in no way replace cross-border operations. However, we are ready to be helpful in ensuring its application. This is a complementary modality – nothing more. There is no alternative to the cross-border modality, particularly in the northwest.

Mr. President,

The Council must heed the Secretary-General’s advice and the joint appeal made by the heads of UN agencies last week.

I also refer the Membership to the joint letter by a cross-regional group of countries addressed to the President of the Security Council yesterday.

The world is watching.

I urge the Members of this Council to do what is right, and to preserve this indispensable mechanism for at least 12 months and with additional crossing points.

Mr. President,

As to the hallucinatory statement made by the Syrian regime representative, I will repeat, I do not consider him as my legitimate counterpart, his presence here is an affront to the millions of Syrians who suffered countless crimes at the hands of the regime and therefore I will not honor his delusional accusations with a response.

Thank you.