UN Commission Report Reveals Escalating Violence, Humanitarian Disaster in Syria

GENEVA – Violence and economic and humanitarian crises are inflicting new suffering on Syrian people, says a UN Syria Commission of Inquiry report.

Half the pre-war population has been displaced and over 90% are living in extreme poverty. 12 million people are facing food insecurity and 14.6 million need humanitarian aid, said the report.

Military skirmishes, bombardments, abductions, and killings are increasing, it added.

“While parts of Syria are no longer subject to active fighting, make no mistake that violence against civilians continues across the country,” commission chair Paulo Pinheiro said.

“Warring parties’ attempt to resolve the Syrian conflict militarily over the past decade have enabled the violation of nearly every core human right, the commission of almost every crime against humanity listed in the Rome statute, and nearly every war crime,” he said.

“We can only hope that world leaders are doing everything they can to avoid a similar fate for Ukraine.”

The Syria report also said the failure to respect human rights and international humanitarian law in Syria has eroded the respect for fundamental norms.

Pinheiro said the Syrian population everywhere is enduring crushing poverty which is hitting particularly the internally displaced.

“These are the abysses faced by the Syrian people, caught between warring parties and everywhere being repressed and exploited by armed actors,” he said.

Beyond the active frontlines, daily life for Syrian women, men, and children gets more difficult and dangerous, noted the report.

Violations also included hostage-taking for ransom, extortion, and property seizures for confiscation or harvesting and selling crops.

“These violations are committed across the country by government forces and other armed actors controlling territory, often targeting minorities,” the report stressed.

Syria today has been facing the worst drought it has seen in decades.

Inflation, already close to 140% at the start of the year, has continued to spiral out of control when the price of basic commodities was already skyrocketing in the country.

The outbreak of conflict between Russia and Ukraine will only contribute further to the inflation and push more Syrians into crushing poverty.