UN urges sustained support as Syria seeks shift from relief to recovery
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – A senior UN humanitarian official told the Security Council on Monday that Syria has a “genuine opportunity” to move from emergency relief toward recovery, while warning that humanitarian needs, displacement and insecurity continue to threaten a sustainable transition.
Briefing the Council on behalf of UN relief chief Tom Fletcher, Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Indrika Ratwatte said the current moment demands “ambition anchored in realism,” stressing that humanitarian action, political will and investment are all needed to help Syrians rebuild their lives.
Ratwatte said millions of Syrians remain displaced inside the country and abroad despite recent returns. Since December 2024, around 1.6 million refugees and nearly two million internally displaced people have gone back to their areas, but he stressed that access to basic services, protection and livelihoods remains essential to ensure returns are safe, voluntary, dignified and sustainable.
He noted that aid operations reached around three million people in 3,000 communities during the first quarter of 2026, but warned that resources remain far below what is needed. The UN’s $2.92 billion humanitarian appeal for Syria is only 20 percent funded, he said, calling for predictable and flexible funding, support for Syria’s shift beyond emergency aid and long-term investment in recovery and reconstruction aligned with national priorities.
Deputy Special Envoy for Syria Claudio Cordone told the Council that Syria’s political transition remains at a “critical phase,” where “opportunity and fragility exist side-by-side.” He said delays in forming the People’s Assembly, persistent economic hardship and unresolved security issues continue to weigh on the transition.
Cordone noted to continued kidnappings and factional rivalries in Suwayda, as well as near-daily Israeli violations in southern Syria, including incursions, detentions and damage to farmland. He also warned that extremist threats remain active, noting Syrian authorities reported more than 230 arrests in counterterrorism operations over the past three months, including the dismantling of seven ISIS-linked cells.