Vietnam concerned about serious humanitarian crisis in Syria

The current humanitarian situation in the Middle Eastern country is causing food insecurity and an economic recession, leading to serious damage to vulnerable groups in Syrian society, including children, said Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, permanent representative of Vietnam to the UN.

Ambassador Quy used the platform to urge relevant parties in Syria to increase co-operation to ensure that humanitarian aid is not interrupted and can reach all regions throughout the Middle Eastern nation.

He also called for an increased level of international support for the Syrian people, emphasising the need to continue supporting local people’s access to COVID-19 vaccines, particularly in the context of the pandemic evolving in a complicated manner in the region.

During the meeting, Mark Lowcock, Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, described the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Syria as serious, calling for solutions to be implemented in an effort to address the situation.

Approximately 12.4 million people, or 60% of Syria’s total population, do not have regular access to enough safe and healthy food, said Lowcock, citing statistics compiled by the World Food Program.

The worsening economic crisis, coupled with the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, can be viewed as the leading factors in causing the situation, he said.

The UN official also warned about the dangers of security instability in large parts of the country, especially in the northern region, with civilian casualties increasing due to improvised explosive device (IED) attacks.