Syria's Humanitarian Crisis Deepens as Violence Escalates, UN Warns
Syria is plunging deeper into an alarming humanitarian crisis that could spiral out of control, an independent UN body warned on Tuesday. The Commission of Inquiry on Syria, which is made up of experts chosen by the UN’s top human rights body, highlighted worsening conditions in the wartorn country, with millions struggling to access basic necessities.
“The economic and humanitarian situation has continued to degenerate, amid corruption, organised crime, unilateral coercive measures and economic isolation, predominantly affecting ordinary Syrians rather than the elite,” it said in a report.
The Humanitarian Crisis
“Only a quarter of this year’s humanitarian needs are funded,” the commission said, warning that such needs are at their highest level since the conflict began 13 years ago.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric on Tuesday said the commission's report provides a very useful overview of “the way men, women and children in Syria who just want to live in peace continue in most parts of the country, in many parts of the country to suffer from conflict, and suffer from the fact that parties involved are fully disregarding international humanitarian law”.
Escalating Violence
In April, Iran accused Israel of an air strike on its consular offices in Damascus, which killed seven people, including two Iranian generals. Tehran retaliated with an unprecedented attack on Israel two weeks later.
The commission said it continues to investigate these incidents, including Sunday’s strike on Syria’s Hama province. Israel has been carrying out strikes on Iranian assets in Syria at an increasing pace since late 2017. Israel has vowed to push back Iran’s military entrenchment in Syria, where thousands of Tehran-backed fighters are stationed. Syria serves as a key transit route for Tehran to supply weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The most significant Israeli operation occurred on May 10, when it carried out Operation House of Cards on tens of purported Iranian sites across Syria. Israeli authorities repeatedly emphasised they will not allow Iranian forces or proxy militias to establish a foothold near their northern border, citing the threat to national security.
The report also highlighted escalating hostilities between Iranian-affiliated groups and US forces. Iranian-backed militias have attacked US bases in eastern Syria more than 100 times since the Gaza war began, with the most recent attack last month, prompting US counterstrikes.
The Continuing Cost of War
The Commission of Inquiry's report highlights the human cost of the ongoing conflict in Syria. The war has devastated the country's infrastructure, displaced millions of people, and left countless others without access to basic necessities. The humanitarian crisis is only likely to worsen as the conflict continues, and the international community must take action to address the urgent needs of the Syrian people.
