New York, Dec. 17 (Petra) – The United Nations Security Council held its monthly meeting on Tuesday regarding the political and humanitarian situation in Syria. During the meeting, the members listened to briefings from the UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, and the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Thomas Fletcher.

Speaking via video conference from Damascus, Pedersen stated that this is the right time to reassure all Syrians that their share of the future is clear and will materialize in reliable and inclusive transitional arrangements.

The UN official mentioned his meetings with a range of stakeholders and his continuous communication with Syrians, adding that there is a deep and shared feeling among Syrians that this new situation belongs to them, and that this is the right moment to fulfill their legitimate aspirations.

However, he warned that many people are concerned about the future, saying, "The challenges ahead are enormous, and I fear that if this issue is not handled properly by Syrians and the international community it could turn worse again."

Pedersen called on Israel to halt all settlement activities in the occupied Syrian Golan, emphasizing that these activities are illegal and that attacks on Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity, which have amounted to over 350 airstrikes, must stop.

//Petra// AF

17/12/2024 23:20:38