Virtual briefing by Geir Pedersen, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria, on the political situation in Syria, during the Security Council Open VTC (16 June 2020).
UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen said, “economic crisis is hitting every part of Syria, regardless of territorial control” as the national currency depreciated more than in the prior nine years of war and warned that the intensity of poverty in the country “is likely more acute.”
Addressing a virtual meeting of the Security Council today (16 Jun), Pedersen said currency and price volatility in Syria were acute and the inflation rate has hit peak levels in the past six months. He added, “Medicine is more expensive, and scarce. Food prices have skyrocketed and supply chains have been disrupted. The purchasing power of ordinary Syrians has seriously diminished as wages – both private and public sector – are vastly inadequate to meet the demands of the day. Before this recent deterioration, over 80 per cent of Syrians were estimated to be living below the poverty line. The situation is undoubtedly more severe today, and the intensity of that poverty is likely more acute.”
The Special Envoy said the banking crisis in neighbouring Lebanon has had a significant impact on the Syrian economy, as well as measures to combat COVID-19 and sanctions by the European Union and the United States, including secondary US sanctions set to enter into force tomorrow aimed at deterring foreign business activity with the Syrian Government.
Pedersen said he was hopeful the constitutional committee could resume work towards the end of August but stressed that the realities facing the Syrian people cannot be solely addressed by discussing the constitution. He said there are real and substantive differences among international players in Syria, as there are between the Syrian parties, which he said must be subject to real discussion and diplomacy. He added his conviction that there are common interests on which to build such a diplomacy.
SOUNDBITE (English) Geir Pedersen, Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Syria, United Nations:
“Syria is going through a time of great flux. Nobody involved in the conflict should presume that time is on their side. Nobody should be sure there will be better openings down the road. What is required is the readiness of all to deal seriously with the realities of the conflict.”
