ICRC briefs media on humanitarian situation in Syria

AMMAN — Heads of the International Committee of the Red Cross’ (ICRC) delegations in Syria and Jordan joined news media representatives on Sunday to discuss the humanitarian situation in Syria and ICRC’s operations in the country.

During the meeting which was held at the ICRC delegation in Amman, Sandra Tettamanti, head of the ICRC delegation in Jordan, said that a neighbouring country like Jordan remains concerned about the situation in Syria, as it has a direct impact on the Kingdom. 

“We are not an organisation with one discipline. We try to respond to various disciplines,” said ICRC Head of Syrian delegation Phillip Spoerri in his opening remarks.

Speaking of ICRC’s long presence in Syria, Spoerri added that the ICRC in cooperation with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) gave support to conflict-affected Syrians, helping them restore their lives, through paying special attention to agricultural programmes, as well as increasing its micro-credits, micro economic and livelihood initiatives.

During the interactive discussion, Spoerri also talked about ICRC’s assistance programmes in water, energy and health sectors, most of which are done in close cooperation with the SARC.

Furthermore, Spoerri said that the ICRC delegation sets up programmes related to unexploded remnants of war, focusing on raising awareness among Syrian communities on the risk of explosive remnants of war.

Focusing his discussions on ICRC’s role in looking at and clarifying the fate of missing persons in Syria, Spoerri stated that “after 10 years of conflict and destruction, huge numbers of people have gone missing,” therefore the ICRC concentrates its efforts in collecting information and transmitting them to the concerned authorities.

 Regarding ICRC’s budget for its operations and activities in Syria, Spoerri said that it amounts close to $200 million, adding that the funds are not “too tightly specified and marked” for certain activities, thereby giving them flexibility with their assistance programmes.  

In 2020, 16 million people benefited from various water and habitat interventions across Syria, while three million persons in 11 governorates received food parcels, according to the ICRC website.

Spoerri pointed out that 70 per cent of Syria including the main urban centres are now under the control of the Syrian government, noting that “the situation in Syria is more stabilised, there are no major military operations and the fighting has mostly reduced to areas in the north east and west”.

However, 50 per cent of the infrastructure is down and most Syrians live under the poverty line.

According to Spoerri, the “dramatic” economic downturn due to the ongoing pandemic is one of the leading reasons why “things did not get better” as intended.

“The breakdown of Lebanon and the unresolved and precarious political situation in Syria” were also among the reasons for the economic downturn, he said.

“Unless there is some change on the Syrian political scene, the situation will remain as difficult as it is now,” Spoerri, who also served as the head of the ICRC mission and permanent observer to the UN, said.

On the positive side, ICRC’s presence and operations expanded, according to Spoerri who noted that now they can operate in northeast territories where they can support camps and prisons.

It is of utmost importance to continue to draw attention that Syria is in great need of support, he concluded.