Madame President,

The Syrian people are once again caught between violence, starvation, COVID-19, and a harsh winter.

This year, the number of people requiring humanitarian assistance has risen to 14 million people.

Earlier this week, ther UN Deputy Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis provided an insight into the current needs in Northwest Syria.

He made an appeal for safer more dignified shelters as 150,000 Syrians contend with sub-zero temperatures.

Türkiye has her own national project to alleviate shelter needs in Idlib. But we continue to encourage other international stakeholders and donors to prioritize funding such projects.

Madame President,

The UN cross-border mechanism is a lifeline to 3.4 million people in the northwest.

There is simply no alternative available in scale or scope that could address the increasing needs in the northwest.
The lives of millions of vulnerable people depend on the aid channeled through the single border crossing at Bab al-Hawa, where the most scrutinized monitoring system in the world is in place.

Last year alone, almost 10,000 trucks left Türkiye to deliver life-saving assistance to 2.4 million people.

More than 90 percent of the trans-shipped cargo contained food items.

The remaining materials were used to aid in providing shelter, water and sanitation, nutrition and education to these distressed communities.

In addition, over 1.9 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines were transported into Syria using this cross-border mechanism.

Türkiye is proud to cooperate with the United Nations and humanitarian partners to ensure the cross border remains operational.

Madame President,

Under-Secretary-General Griffiths has alluded to the recent developments in cross line deliveries and their distribution through the newly established distribution method.

Türkiye is fully committed to contributing to the implementation of Resolution 2585 in all its aspects, including cross line access.

We process the existing UN requests with this understanding.

This also requires the effective engagement of the UN with local actors on the ground.

As noted in Resolution 2585, early recovery projects can broaden humanitarian activities through responding to community needs, helping vulnerable people improve their resilience and reducing dependence on foreign aid.

It is important that these projects are implemented without any discrimination throughout Syria based on the needs assessment of the UN.

Madame President,

Continued funding to the UN’s humanitarian response activities is essential.

Last year, the UN appealed for four billion dollars to aid the Syrian people. It received less than half of that.

Humanitarian assistance is needed because the Syrian regime, DAESH, and PKK/YPG continue to violate international humanitarian law.
For over a decade the Syrian people have demonstrated resilience. We cannot abandon them now.

Madame President,

Effective humanitarian response is also threatened due to insecurity caused by the ongoing ceasefire violations and attacks against civilians, and civilian infrastructure in İdlib.

Recent examples include the destruction of a UN supported farm and the attack against Arşani water station, which interrupted access to water for almost a quarter million people in the region.

While the regime contiues to attack its own people, terrorist organization PKK/YPG pursues the same evil agenda by committing war crimes in northern Syria.

The perpetrators should be, and will be, exposed and held accountable.
Madame president,

Humanitarian assistance is just a bandaid with which we are trying to treat the cancer.

The United Nations has become the 'aftermath intervention service' - in Syria, in Afghanistan, in Yemen, in South Sudan.

The international community throws money to keep the problems away from their doors.

We need to address the root causes of the conflicts.

In the case of Syria, the root cause of the conflict is out there: the restriction of fundamental rights and freedoms by the Syrian regime.

The humanitarian crisis will continue unless we address the political problem and achieve a political settlement in accordance with Resolution 2254.

The international community needs to listen to the Syrian people.

This Council must act in unity to do what is right, for the people whom we have pledged to serve.