UN Special Envoy for Syria welcomes ceasefire understanding; pledges UN support

9 September 2016 - Welcoming a new understanding on cessation of hostilities in Syria, announced today at the end of a marathon meeting between senior officials from United States and Russia, United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan De Mistura has said that the UN would do "whatever it can" to support an early restoration of the cessation of hostilities.

“The UN hopes that the political will that led to this understanding is sustained. It creates a real window of opportunity which all relevant actors in the region and beyond should seize to put the crisis in Syria on a different path and ease the violence and suffering being endured by the Syrian people,” said Mr. De Mistura, in a statement issued today.

Speaking at the end of the meeting between US' Secretary of State John Kerry and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Mr. De Mistura called on all parties to the conflict in Syria to facilitate humanitarian access in besieged and hard-to-reach areas.

The UN Special Envoy also welcomed the fact that the Russian Federation and the United States are prepared to work together to defeat Daesh and Al Nusra front.

Earlier today, Mr. De Mistura had expressed hope that an agreement between Russia and the US could make a major difference in ensuring cessation of hostilities, and in moving forward the political process – both considered necessary to ease humanitarian suffering and to end the conflict in Syria.

Mr. De Mistura had made the statement at a press conference in Geneva after coming out of the meeting of the International Syria Support Group's Humanitarian Access Task Force, co-chaired by Mr. Kerry and Mr. Lavrov.

He had also expressed concern for the plight of civilians trapped in Syria's eastern Aleppo, saying it was greater than ever. He said it was a priority that the two super-powers agree on a way to halt the fighting, so that aid can get through to civilians caught up in the more than five-year conflict.

Speaking shortly after Mr. De Mistura, UN humanitarian chief, Stephen O'Brien said it was imperative that a way forward was found to meet the humanitarian needs of Syrians in what he described as “a man-made humanitarian crisis.”

Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Stephen O'Brien (left) and Special Envoy for Syria Staffan De Mistura brief the press in Geneva. UN Photo

“We have to now see our way forward to try and meet the needs; the incredibly large-scale, deep, long-term needs of human suffering brought about by the continuing conflict circumstances,” said Mr. O'Brien.

He stressed the demands of humanitarian partners, “under the humanitarian principles of impartiality, independence, and neutrality,” adding that the UN, and its implementing humanitarian partners “are ready to be able to deliver for the people who have life-saving, life-supporting and protection needs and continue to suffer under the current circumstances.”

“So the readiness of the UN was affirmed, the detailed plans are in place, with just the usual short-term notice of getting a green light, and then the reality of having trucks getting loaded, and making sure that the truck drivers feel safe enough to be able to get into their cabs and drive along secure routes to deliver to the people in need was affirmed,” said Mr. O'Brien.

Mr. O'Brien also said he hoped their readiness to deliver humanitarian assistance will not be affected by the coming solemn religious holidays of Eid. “Of course some adjustments will have to be made,” he said, while noting that they “would make sure that the readiness was equally in place during the Eid holidays, and certain arrangements are made for people to be able to make their proper celebration of that period.”

Mr. O'Brien said it was also clear from the Humanitarian Task Force meeting, and from all the briefings, that the humanitarian situation in Syria has reached a new critical phase.