Editorial Note: The following news reports are summaries from original sources. They may also include corrections of Arabic names and political terminology. Comments are in parentheses.

 

UN Warns of Increasing Risk of Sectarian Violence in Syria, $1.5 Billion Needed for Ongoing Humanitarian Crisis

 

Syrian children outside their UNHCR tent at Jordan’s Za’atri refugee camp. Photo: UNHCR/M. Abu Asaker

UN genocide adviser warns of increasing risk of sectarian violence in Syria

UN.org, 21 December 2012 –

The United Nations top official on the issue of genocide has warned of the increasing risk of sectarian violence in Syria, and called on all parties to the conflict to refrain from targeting individuals or groups based on religious or ethnic identity.

“I am deeply concerned that entire communities risk paying the price for crimes committed by the Syrian Government,” the UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, Adama Dieng, said in a statement issued on Thursday night.

“As the situation in Syria deteriorates further, there is a growing risk that civilian communities, including Alawite and other minorities perceived to be associated with the Government, its security forces, militias and allies could be subject to large scale reprisal attacks,” he added.

At least 20,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began in March 2011. The conflict has spawned more than 500,000 refugees, while an estimated four million people inside the country need urgent humanitarian assistance.

Mr. Dieng’s comments echo those of an independent UN panel probing human rights violations in Syria which yesterday stated in an update covering the 28 September-16 December period that the conflict, now in its 22nd month, has become “overtly sectarian in nature.”

The Commission of Inquiry on Syria also stated that, in addition to the Alawites, the country’s other minority groups – such as the Armenians, Christians, Druze, Palestinians, Kurds and Turkmen – have been drawn into the conflict.

The sectarian lines fall most sharply, the Commission said in its update, between Syria’s Alawite community, from which most of the Government’s senior political and military figures hail, and the majority Sunni community who are broadly, but not uniformly, in support of the anti-Government armed groups.

“I urge all parties to the conflict to adhere to international humanitarian and human rights law, which prohibits the targeting of individuals or groups based on religious or ethnic identity as well as attacks against civilians not taking direct part in hostilities,” said Mr. Dieng.

He also called on all actors in the conflict to condemn hate speech that could constitute incitement to violence against communities based on their religious affiliation – something that has, in the past, been precursors to serious and massive human rights violations and international humanitarian law.

Noting that the Syrian Government is “manifestly failing to protect its populations,” the Special Adviser said the international community must act on the commitment made by leaders at the 2005 World Summit to protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity, including their incitement.

“I also reiterate the calls of the international community for the Security Council to refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court and stress the importance of taking steps now to facilitate future transitional justice processes in Syria to reduce the risk of retribution, promote reconciliation and provide all communities with a sense of justice and dignity,” Mr. Dieng stated.

Elsewhere, Lakhdar Brahimi, the Joint Special Representative of the UN and the League of Arab States for Syria, met today in Cairo with the President of the National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces, Moaz Al-Khatib, who was accompanied by Vice-Presidents Riad Seif, Suheir Al-Atassi and George Sabra.

“They exchanged views on the situation in Syria and possible ways out,” said a note issued by the UN.

Mr. Brahimi has stated that a political solution to end the crisis is necessary and still possible, and that such a solution would be based on the core elements of the communiqué issued by the Action Group on Syria that met in Geneva on 30 June.

The communiqué called for setting up a transitional governing body, with full executive powers and made up by members of the present Government and the opposition and other groups, as part of important agreed principles and guidelines for a Syrian-led political transition.

Meanwhile, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) said today it will start providing ready-to-eat food to 125,000 vulnerable Palestinians and displaced Syrians caught up in fighting around the Yarmouk camp in the Syrian capital, Damascus.

The densely populated camp, which is eight kilometres from the centre of Damascus, has been home to the largest Palestinian refugee community in Syria since 1957 and has recently housed thousands of displaced Syrians who fled heavy fighting in Damascus and the surrounding areas.

In recent days, Palestinian refugees and thousands of displaced Syrians who had taken refuge in the camp fled due to violence in Yarmouk. Many of them are now in relatives’ homes, mosques, public shelters and schools, WFP said in a news release, adding that they left the camp carrying only their children, with thousands attempting to cross the border to neighbouring Lebanon.

“These people have already suffered tremendously in their journey in search of safety for their families and young children, moving from one place to the other hungry, terrified and cold,” said WFP’s Executive Director, Ertharin Cousin. “We remain committed to supporting the most vulnerable in Syria. No one should go hungry.”

WFP will provide around 12 kilograms of food for each family per week, consisting of ready-to-eat food commodities, including canned goods. The agency provides food assistance to an average of 1.5 million people each month in all 14 governorates in Syria, prioritizing internally displaced persons (IDPs).

As refugees continue to cross the borders to Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq and travel as far as Egypt, WFP has extended its regional emergency operation to provide food assistance to up to 755,000 people by June 2013.

In Yarmouk, WFP is coordinating its activities with the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which has the mandate to assist Palestinian refugees on behalf of the international community.

According to UNRWA, the Yarmouk camp is reportedly calm after days of intense fighting that led to the displacement of tens of thousands of Palestine refugees. Occasional shelling reportedly continues in the areas surrounding Yarmouk and Sbeineh refugee camps, with Sbeineh camp accessible today.

The Agency added that facilities in the Yarmouk, Douma and Jaramana refugee camps remain closed today due to access restrictions, although schools in the camps continue to shelter IDPs.

 

In latest update, UN independent panel finds more breaches of human rights law by parties to Syrian conflict

UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry (CoI) on Syria members: Chairperson Paulo Sergio Pinheiro (left) and Karen Koning AbuZayd. UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferré

UN.org, 20 December 2012 –

A United Nations independent panel investigating human rights violations in Syria has released a new update on the situation in the Middle Eastern nation, noting that violations continue unabated and reiterating the need for a political solution to the conflict there.

“The war of attrition that is being fought in Syria has brought immeasurable destruction and human suffering to the civilian population. As the conflict drags on, the parties have become ever more violent and unpredictable, which has led to their conduct increasingly being in breach of international law,” the Commission of Inquiry on Syria stated in its latest update, covering the period between 28 September to 16 December.

“The sole way to bring about an immediate cessation of the violence is through a negotiated political settlement which meets the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people,” the Commission added, noting that it strongly supports the Joint Special Representative of the UN and League of Arab States for the crisis in Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, in his efforts to bring the parties towards such a settlement.

The Commission – which comprises Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, Karen AbuZayd, Carla del Ponte and Vitit Muntarbhorn – has been mandated by the Geneva-based Human Rights Council to investigate and record all violations of international human rights law in Syria, where at least 20,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began in March 2011.

The conflict, now in its 22nd month, has spawned more than 500,000 refugees, while an estimated four million people inside the country need urgent humanitarian assistance. The Syrian Government has yet to allow the Commission to undertake investigations inside the country.

The Commission has also been tasked with investigating allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity, and its mandate was recently expanded to include “investigations of all massacres.” Its latest update is based on interviews with some 100 witnesses and victims, with the Commissioners and their staff having interviewed a total of just under 1,200 people since they began their work in August 2011.

The new 10-page update – the latest in a series of reports and updates – paints a bleak picture of the conflict and continuing international human rights and humanitarian law violations taking place in Syria, with civilians continuing to bear the brunt as the front lines between Government forces and the armed opposition move deeper into urban areas.

“Violence has increased dramatically in and around major cities, in particular Damascus and Aleppo, where anti-Government fighters have advanced to neighbourhoods close to the cities’ centres,” the Commission states in the update. “Anti-Government armed groups were also reported in governorates such as al-Raqqah and al-Hasakah where they have clashed with army units, provoking shelling and artillery attacks.”

In addition, it notes that mounting tensions have led to armed clashes between different armed groups along a sectarian divide – particularly involving Sunni and Shia communities, as well as the Alawaite minority – with such incidents taking place in mixed communities or where armed groups had attempted to take hold of areas predominantly inhabited by pro-Government minority communities.

“The risk of the Syrian conflict devolving from peaceful protests seeking political reform to a confrontation between ethnic and religious groups has been ever present,” the Commission stated. “As battles between Government forces and anti-Government armed groups approach the end of their second year, the conflict has become overtly sectarian in nature.”

Furthermore, the country’s other minority groups – such as the Armenians, Christians, Druze, Palestinians, Kurds and Turkmen – have been drawn into the conflict. “Feeling threatened and under attack, ethnic and religious minority groups have increasingly aligned themselves with parties to the conflict, deepening sectarian divides,” according to the update.

However, the sectarian lines fall most sharply between Syria’s Alawite community, from which most of the Government’s senior political and military figures hail, and the country’s majority Sunni community who are broadly, but not uniformly, in support of the anti-Government armed groups.

The update observes that most of the foreign fighters filtering into Syria to join the anti-Government armed groups – or to fight independently alongside them – are Sunnis hailing from countries in the Middle East and North Africa, adding that the increasingly sectarian nature of the conflict provides one motivation for other actors to take part.

The update notes that the Lebanese Shia group Hezbollah has confirmed that its members are in Syria fighting on behalf of the Government, and there have also been claims, still under investigation, of Iraqi Shias coming to fight in Syria. Iran confirmed on 14 September that members of its Revolutionary Guards are in Syria providing “intellectual and advisory support,” the Commissioners added.

In addition to highlighting the violence which has resulted in many thousands of dead and wounded, arbitrary detention and disappearances, huge displacement and the massive physical destruction in Syria, the Commission’s update also describes how World Heritage sites have been damaged or destroyed, as well as entire neighbourhoods of several of the country’s biggest cities.

The Commission of Inquiry will present its fourth report to the Human Rights Council in March next year.

Also today, the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Derek Plumbly, met with that country’s Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, and discussed a range of issues – including the impact of recent developments in Syria on its Lebanese neighbour.

“We discussed the issue of displaced Syrians, and the significant rise in the numbers of Syrian and Palestinian refugees who have fled to Lebanon during the past week. We agreed that two things have to be highlighted: the very difficult circumstances that forced these people to leave their homes, and the humanitarian obligation to assist them until they are able to return,” the UN envoy said in a statement after the meeting.

According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), there are some 155,00 displaced Syrians currently seeking refuge in Lebanon, and their humanitarian needs are expected to increase with the onset of winter in the region.

“We understand that this represents a very big burden for Lebanon, and one which is likely to grow before those displaced are able to return home,” Mr. Plumbly said, adding that the UN humanitarian agencies concerned are working in the “closest possible fashion” with the Lebanese Government to help it and the displaced people and the communities receiving them.

“We are standing and will stand shoulder to shoulder with Lebanon in this,” the envoy added. “I reiterated to the Prime Minister the support of the United Nations for the response plan that the Government has prepared, and for the arrangements put in place in it.”

UN and humanitarian partners seek $1.5 billion for ongoing Syria crisis

19 December 2012 –

The United Nations and its humanitarian partners today appealed for $1.5 billion to assist civilians affected by the ongoing conflict in Syria over the next six months, including those inside the country as well as those taking refuge beyond its borders.

The bulk of the appeal – $1 billion – is for the Syria Regional Response Plan, which will support refugees fleeing Syria to Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, Turkey and Egypt. It is based on planning estimates that up to a million Syrian refugees will need help during the first half of next year.

More than $519 million will be needed to support an estimated four million people inside Syria who need urgent humanitarian assistance, including an estimated two million internally displaced persons (IDPs).

Together, the 2013 Syria Humanitarian Assistance Response Plan – which covers relief activities inside Syria – and the new Syria Regional Response Plan comprise the largest short-term humanitarian appeal ever, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). They have been revised several times over the course of this year.

Speaking at the launch of the appeal in Geneva, the Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for Syria, Radhouane Nouicer, said the conflict has become increasingly brutal and indiscriminate and is exacting a heavy toll on the Syrian population across the country.

“The violence in Syria is raging and there are nearly no more safe areas where people flee to and find safety, as most parts of the country have now become engulfed in violence, including the capital, Damascus,” he stated.

“We are especially focusing on life-saving interventions and aiming to help people who have become displaced, host families and communities, and the poor suffering from the multiple effects of the current events,” Mr. Nouicer added.

The number of people in need of assistance inside Syria has quadrupled from one million in March 2012 to four million in December. The main needs outlined in the Syria Humanitarian Assistance Response Plan include food assistance, shelter, water and sanitation, nutrition and emergency medical services, cash assistance, basic services, and non-food items, such as mattresses and bedding, kitchen and hygiene sets, and clothes.

Mr. Nouicer noted that it is “highly unusual” for such plans to be revised so often, and it is indicative of the rapid developments on the ground and the dramatically deteriorating humanitarian situation in Syria. “The magnitude of this humanitarian crisis is indisputable,” he said.

According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), there are currently 525,000 Syrians that have either registered as refugees in neighbouring countries or are being assisted – a seven-fold increase since May.

“This massive humanitarian crisis requires urgent support from governments, businesses and private individuals,” said UNHCR’s Regional Coordinator for Syrian Refugees, Panos Moumtzis. “Unless these funds come quickly, we will not be able to fully respond to the life-saving needs of civilians who flee Syria every hour of the day – many in a truly desperate condition.”

At least 20,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Syria since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began in early 2011.

The conflict, now in its 22nd month, has “escalated dangerously,” the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Jeffrey Feltman, reported to the Security Council, as it met today to discuss the situation in the Middle East.

“As we have repeatedly underlined, the military approach pursued by both sides comes at a devastating cost in terms of human lives and destruction, and breeds a serious risk of sectarian and communal strife, radicalization and terrorism. If nothing is done to change the current dynamic, and to move toward a political solution, the destruction of Syria, will be the likely outcome,” he stated.

He added that long-standing fears that the conflict in Syria would seriously threaten the stability and security of Syria’s neighbours have intensified.

News Tracker: past stories on this issue

Alarmed at rising violence, Ban urges protection of civilians and end to Syria fighting