UNSG alarmed by human suffering endured across Syria

CAIRO – 21 June 2017: “Daily life is dangerous and desperate for millions of people,” United Nations Secretary General (UNSG), Antonio Guterres wrote in a statement issued Wednesday regarding the human suffering and deteriorated situation in Syria.

“Civilians continue to be killed, injured and displaced at a terrifying rate. I am also alarmed that places of refuge, such as hospitals and schools continue to be targeted,” the statement reads.

Guterres expressed that he is “particularly concerned about the perilous situation for civilians in Raqqa who are trapped and face threats from every direction. The situation is also grim for those civilians stuck in other besieged and hard-to-reach areas, some of whom have been deprived of food and basic medical assistance for years on end.”

Guterres implored all parties engaged in the military operations Syria “to do everything in their power to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, as fighting continues in Raqqa and elsewhere.” Continuing that “it is also critical for all parties to facilitate improved humanitarian access to allow aid to reach those in urgent need of life-saving assistance without delay.”

The Syrian city of Raqqa is considered the Islamic State (IS) capital on the banks of the Euphrates river. Controlling Raqqa would be a symbol of the end of the terrorist group IS. Earlier in June, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) which includes Arab and Kurdish militants, declared the start of an offensive to seize the northern Syrian city from IS militants, according to Reuters.

According to Reuters, an estimated 50,000-100,000 people were trapped inside Raqqa, far fewer than its population before the Syrian war erupted in 2011. Many have fled to camps elsewhere in Syria.