UN aid chief calls for expansion of humanitarian access to Syria and Lebanon

At least 13.4 million people throughout a war-ravaged Syria are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) said on Saturday. The statement came as Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths concluded his first-ever trip to Syria, Lebanon and Turkey. Notably, Syria and Lebanon have been battered by decades of political instability and economic crisis pertaining to a gruesome civil war. 

Calling for “greater access and expanded funding”, Griffiths said that the UN needs to be able to reach people who depend on its aid both from Turkey and from within Syria. “Humanitarians and donors must keep Syria high on our collective agenda to prevent an entire generation being lost.” It is worth mentioning that the UN leader not only held “constructive” meetings with Syrian and Lebanese lawmakers but also with officials from aid organisations including the Syrian Arab Red Crescent and Red Crescent Societies. 

What is happening in Syria?

Al-Assad triggered a bloody civil war in 2011 after he tried to suppress opposition to his authoritarian rule, which now extends to 10 years. While armed fighting has now ended, the government and militias continue to engage in a war of nerves and occasional assaults. With the coronavirus contagion wreaking havoc, the Syrian economy has plunged manifold with roughly 80 per cent of the population living under the poverty line.  

What is happening in Lebanon?

Lebanon, at present, is battling multiple crises -- a constant war with Israel, new coronavirus variants, political instability, and debt crisis -- all while trying to revive itself from the horrendous explosion that jolted Beirut in August last year. The current economic crisis in the country has thrown more people into poverty as tens of thousands have lost their jobs since anti-government protests first erupted in late 2019. As per the World Bank, the country’s economy contracted 19 per cent in 2020 and is expected to shrink again this year.

In Beirut, Griffins announced an allocation of USD$4 million from the Central Emergency Response Plan (CERP)  to aid the country’s exacerbating fuel crisis and support the continuity of essential services. 

Image: AP