Syrian crisis degenerating into disaster

UN officials on Tuesday warned the international community that the crisis in Syria is worsening and degenerating into a regional and sectarian one that would be difficult to contain. The UN Humanitarian Chief Valerie Amos told the Security Council in an open meeting via video link from Geneva, as it met to discuss the humanitarian and human rights situation in Syria, that "this is a regional crisis not a crisis in Syria with regional consequences," requiring sustained and comprehensive engagement from the international community." "The security, economic, political, social, development and humanitarian consequences of this crisis are extremely grave and its human impact immeasurable in terms of the long term trauma and emotional impact on this and future generations of Syrians," she warned. "Family and community networks destroyed, Syria's reputation for secularism and tolerance eroded, with sectarianism on the rise and the long term consequences of internal displacement and significant refugee flows unknown. We are not only watching the destruction of a country but also of its people," she added. She reiterated that only a "genuine political process can prevent Syria from sliding into deeper fragmentation and chaos. We are looking to this Council to exercise a leadership role in that regard." She noted that 2,500 civilians are trapped inside the Old City of Homs, without food, water or medicines, because opposition groups would not allow them safe passage to leave, and government forces refused to allow agencies to provide them with the assistance they require. She also complained that Damascus impedes UN humanitarian efforts by imposing bureaucratic procedures. The Head of the UN High-Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) also warned the Council via video link from Geneva that the "danger that the Syria conflict could ignite the whole region is not an empty warning," calling for measures to be taken immediately to mitigate the enormous risks of spill-over and to support the stability of Syria's neighbors, so as to keep the situation "from escalating into a political, security and humanitarian crisis that would move far beyond the international capacity to respond." "What I am asking for today is essential to mitigate the risk of an explosion that could engulf the entire Middle East. But only a political solution for Syria, and an end to the fighting, can fully stop this risk. I still have not lost hope that the Syrian parties themselves, all others who are directly or indirectly involved in the conflict, and the international community as a whole which this Council is mandated to represent, will be able to come together and put an end to the bloodshed," he stressed. "We have seen too many conflicts fester for too long and then spread like wildfire. We cannot afford to have this happen with Syria," he urged. He added that as the conflict in Syria "drags on and on, a longer-term approach is needed, focusing on development assistance especially for those countries and communities that are most seriously affected by the refugee crisis," such as Lebanon and Jordan, which are bearing the heaviest burden. He also drew attention to the refugee crisis in Turkey, Iraq and Egypt. He appealed to all development actors - international financial institutions, UN organizations and national and regional development agencies - to cooperate with the concerned governments in formulating and supporting community development programmes that will assist these states to cope with the impact of the crisis in Syria. He said there are now nearly 1.8 million Syrian refugees known to UNHCR in the region, with two thirds of them have fled Syria since the beginning of this year, an average of over 6,000 people a day. "We have not seen a refugee outflow escalate at such a frightening rate since the Rwandan genocide almost twenty years ago," he noted. He added that while Syria continues to drain itself of its people, the prospects for a political solution and an end to the fighting remain poor and the 'warning signs of destabilization in some neighboring countries are troubling. The continuing influx could send them over the edge if the international community does not act more resolutely to help." He warned that the conflict in Syria is "steadily creeping" into Lebanon, with the number of security incidents increasing in Tripoli, the South, and parts of the Bekaa Valley, and that the country's political system will likely remain paralyzed until the Syrian crisis is over. Speaking on behalf of High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, Ivan Simonovic, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, expressed concern in the Security Council that the use of rhetoric by religious and political leaders in Syria and the region is "exacerbating existing sectarian tensions which can lead to more violence and large scale atrocities." He reminded those leaders of their "responsibility to refrain from using or condoning language that may escalate sectarian tension. States must take action to prevent incitement to violence on any grounds." He also said that the continuous influx of foreign fighters into Syria to support both sides remains of "great concern and fuels the conflict further. The return of foreign fighters in body bags is exacerbating sectarian tension in surrounding states, and endangering the security of the region," urging the states to discourage the movement of foreign fighters into Syria. "The supply of weapons to both sides must stop," he urged, calling on the parties to initiate "immediate" negotiations to reduce violence and human rights violations and improve the protection of civilians He called for "immediate" humanitarian access to all conflict-affected populations in besieged areas, arguing that "humanitarian contacts are not only vital in their own right, they can also sow the seeds for political negotiations in the longer run." Syrian Ambassador Bashar Ja'afari told the Council that his government is fighting terrorism alone on behalf of the world, drawing its attention that some of the terrorist opposition groups will declare an independent Islamic State in the north of Syria by the end of Ramadan. Lebanese Ambassador Nawaf Salam also complained about the influx of 1.2 million Syrian refugees into his small country. He addressed Council President Rosemary DiCarlo of the US saying imagine that "your country faces the influx of 75 million of refugees, or twice the population of Canada." The Iraqi and Turkish Ambassadors also took the floor to complain about the burden of the Syrian refugees their countries are bearing.