Syria: Situation on the ground remains very tense - DPPA Briefing | United Nations

Briefing the Security Council today on the situation in Syria, Assistant Secretary-General for Middle East Khaled Khiari said, “It is vital that ISIL is not allowed to capitalize on the fluid situation in the northeast.”

Khiari also said, “As I speak, the situation on the ground remains very tense, with exchanges of fire and clashes between Government forces and the SDF in parts of Hasekeh governorate and also on the outskirts of Ayn al Arab, also known as Kobane - an SDF-controlled enclave where access is challenging, given ongoing clashes.”

He appealed for both sides to “immediately adhere to a ceasefire in line with the 18 January agreement and engage in fleshing out and implementing the details of this latest understanding of 20 January swiftly and in a spirit of compromise, in order to ensure a peaceful integration of north-east Syria in support of Syria’s broader transition.”

He highlighted, “It is important also to note the recent Decree no. 13 announced by President al-Sharaa concerning the linguistic, cultural, and citizenship rights of Syrian Kurds within the Syrian state. This is a crucial issue for the future, and the decree is an encouraging initiative on which to build further through a genuinely inclusive process.”

He stressed, “We share concerns about the presence of foreign terrorist fighters in Syria. During the fighting in northeast Syria, control of some of the detention centers for ISIL fighters switched from the SDF to Government forces, as did al-Hol camp in Hasakeh. There are indications that some detainees escaped.”

He added, “Separately, the US announced on 21 January its mission to transfer ISIL detainees from Syria to Iraq, with 150 ISIL members held in Hasakeh already transported to a secure facility in Iraq. ”

He also noted, “Israeli incursions in southern Syria continue to undermine Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. We welcome this Council’s extension of UNDOF’s mandate for another six months.”

Edem Wosornu, Director of the Crisis Response Division of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said, “In spite of these challenges, Syrians across the country continue to work to build a brighter future. More than 3 million refugees and internally displaced people have returned to their homes since December of 2024. And we have started to see some encouraging, if still limited, improvements in humanitarian indicators. Food security has improved slightly, but only one in five families are consistently meeting their nutritional needs.”

Ibrahim Olabi, Syrian Permanent Representative to the United Nations, said, “We are fully aware of the suffering endured by our Syrian Kurdish compatriots for decades due to marginalization and denial of rights. We are pleased today to see them as part of the new Syrian State institutions, like all other Syrian communities.”

He reported, “The Ministry of Interior successfully apprehended the majority of escaped members and continues its efforts to follow to pursue the remaining ones, stressing that extended State sovereignty and the rule of law is the only permanent guarantee of security, stability, and effective counterterrorism. In this regard, the Syrian Government welcomes the American operation to transfer ISIS detainees out of Syrian territories and affirms its readiness to provide the necessary logistical and security support to ensure its success.”

Lukman Al-Faily, Iraqi Permanent Representative to the United Nations, stated that his government reaffirms “its reception of foreign terrorists whose states refused to repatriate them is a measure aimed at protecting regional and international security from an imminent threat. Nevertheless, we stress that this issue should not be left to become a long-term strategic burden on Iraq alone. The insistence of some States on considering their terrorist nationals a threat to their national security and refusing to repatriate them is unacceptable.”