Brahimi and aid agencies keep hopes alive
AS the crisis spawned by the ongoing Syrian conflict deteriorated, with "a sharp rise in the number of Syrians fleeing to Turkey and Jordan", the United Nations announced that veteran diplomat Lakhdar Brahimi will be the new Joint Special Representative of the world organization and League of Arab States for the crisis in the Middle Eastern country.
Brahimi is taking over the peace-facilitation role played over the past several months by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, a spokesperson for the world organization said. Brahimi is expected to assume his duties following the expiration of Annan's mandate on Aug. 31.
Annan was appointed Joint Special Envoy for the crisis in Syria in late February to provide good offices on behalf of the UN and Arab League, with the aim of bringing an end to all violence and human rights violations in Syria, and promoting a peaceful solution to the conflict.
Syria has been wracked by violence, with more than 20,000 people, mostly civilians, killed since the uprising against President Bashar Assad began some 17 months ago. Over recent days, there have been reports of an escalation in violence in many towns and villages, as well as the country's two biggest cities, Damascus and Aleppo.
As part of his efforts, Annan put forward a six-point peace plan, calling for an end to violence, access for humanitarian agencies to provide relief to those in need, the release of detainees, the start of inclusive political dialogue, and unrestricted access to the country for the international media.
Despite initial signs of acceptance of the six-point plan, repeated calls from international officials and the deployment of the UN Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS) to monitor a cease-fire, there was little in the way of the plan's implementation by the parties to the conflict.
Due to that lack of progress, UNSMIS' mandate was expected to be allowed to expire on Aug. 19 by the Security Council, while that body is at the same time working with Secretary-General Ban to keep a UN presence on the ground, through a liaison office that will continue to support the Special Representative's efforts.
According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the number of recorded refugees seeking sanctuary in Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan and Iraq has increased by over 12,000 - from 157,577 to 170,116 in just the three days from Aug. 15 to 17. The real number of refugees was expected to be higher than the reported amount as "many thousands more" had not registered with authorities.
An influx of 3,500 Syrians across the border into two provinces of Turkey in the middle of the week beginning Aug. 13 has brought the number sheltered in nine refugee camps in Turkey to almost 65,000, not all of them yet recorded.
"About 40 percent of these are people who have arrived this month (August)," UNHCR spokesman Adrian Edwards told journalists. "UNHCR is scaling up its humanitarian assistance in Turkey and will provide family tents, blankets, kitchen sets and other relief on an emergency basis to assist the government of Turkey in addressing urgent needs."
The number of arrivals is also rising sharply in Jordan, with 1,080 crossing the border from Syria on Aug. 16 night, following 1,600 during the previous two nights. The Jordanian government is transferring all the newly arrived Syrians to the Za'atri refugee camp, which now hosts 7,655 people.
"More than 60 percent of those arriving at the camp this week have been children," Edwards said. He said a Saudi donation to UNHCR of $ 6.2 million would pay for 2,500 containers to replace the tents which are ill-suited to the strong winds and searing heat in the camp. UN organizations are also working together to improve other facilities such as sanitation and water.
According to the Jordanian government, some 150,000 Syrians have crossed into Jordan since March 2011, of which 46,898 refugees have registered with UNHCR and thousands more are receiving assistance from other organizations.
Inside Syria there are some 2.5 million people in need of support because of the conflict and 1.2 million internally displaced, according to the UN Regional Humanitarian Relief Coordinator. UNHCR must also continue to assist refugees from other countries who are living inside Syria.
"UNHCR operations in Syria continue despite ongoing shelling, explosions and armed clashes," said Edwards. "Refugees continue to visit UNHCR offices for food, health, registration and counseling. We are also continuing our community visits, distributing relief items like blankets, mattresses, kitchen sets, jerry cans and diapers for babies to the displaced sheltering in public buildings."
In Iraq, where an estimated 15,096 Syrians have sought refuge, the spokesperson said that UNHCR will continue to help local authorities expand a camp in Al-Qaem while discussions for a fourth camp in the Al-Kasak area of Rabi'aa were underway.
Despite the recent reports indicating an escalation in violence across the country, Edwards also noted that UNHCR operations in Syria were continuing undeterred, providing refugees with food, registration and counseling.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization has warned that a lack of access to medical facilities, compounded with severe staffing shortages in hospitals, was further aggravating the Syrian health care system.
The situation in Aleppo and the surrounding rural areas is extremely tense as fighting continues in several districts.
The number of killed and wounded rises daily and thousands more have been displaced. Despite the difficulties, volunteers from the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) continue to help those in need.
Some people have fled to Turkey, while others are moving from one area to another, hoping to find refuge in schools and other public buildings.
"Fighting continues in and around other cities in addition to Aleppo, including Homs, Damascus, Deir Ezzor, Idlib and Deraa," says Marianne Gasser, head of the ICRC delegation in Damascus. "We are very concerned about the effects that the fighting is having on civilians in these areas."
Wherever possible, the SARC helps those trapped in the fighting by evacuating the sick and wounded and by providing emergency aid. In the past three weeks, the ICRC and the SARC have supplied thousands of people with food, drinking water and other types of aid. Despite the very tense and volatile situation in Aleppo, SARC volunteers have managed to deliver emergency aid to thousands of people, most of them living in 80 schools around the city.
Thus the aid agencies are striving to alleviate the suffering of the people and are keeping their hopes alive.
-
— IDN-InDepthNews | Analysis That Matters
