United Nations, March 11 (IANS) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is alarmed by the violent escalation in the coastal areas of Syria, that has seen widespread summary killings, including a UN staffer, a UN spokesman said.
The UN chief expresses his condolences to Syrians mourning the loss of loved ones and wishes a speedy recovery for the injured, said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for Guterres, at a daily briefing on Monday, Xinhua news agency reported.
“The secretary-general calls on all parties to protect civilians and stop inflammatory rhetoric and actions,” as Syria contends with the legacy of 14 years of conflict, Dujarric said. “He reiterates his concern over escalating tensions among communities in Syria.”
The spokesman said Guterres seeks the cessation of bloodshed immediately and perpetrators held to account. The concerns of Syria’s communities must be addressed in a meaningful manner.
“The secretary-general takes note of the announcement by the caretaker authorities of an investigative committee as well as a committee for the preservation of civil peace,” Dujarric said. “He underlines the importance and urgency of inclusive and transparent transitional justice and reconciliation processes for sustainable peace in Syria.”
The statement comes amid reports of mass casualties and alleged extrajudicial executions in Syria’s coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartous, where security forces are conducting operations against suspected remnants of the former government.
On Thursday, the remnants launched a series of attacks in Latakia, killing 16 security personnel. Government officials described the ambushes as premeditated.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the death toll from ongoing clashes had surpassed 1,000, including 830 civilians, as per the toll updated on Sunday.
“The escalation of violence in Syria is severely impacting civilians and civilian infrastructure,” Dujarric said. “As of yesterday (Sunday), hundreds of people, including women, children, and some medical personnel, had reportedly been killed. Thousands have reportedly been displaced in the area, and thousands have crossed into Lebanon.”
He said power outages in Latakia Governorate disrupted water pumping, and schools in Latakia and Tartous were suspended on Sunday and Monday.
The Homs-Latakia highway remains blocked, further limiting humanitarian access. Humanitarian operations remain severely disrupted, with insecurity halting all movements to and within coastal areas.
Civilian infrastructure was severely impacted, including six referral hospitals and several ambulances. Other medical facilities in the area urgently need medical supplies and support.
The spokesman said that with widespread disinformation and heightened tensions, the UN chief also highlighted the need to ensure and protect the space for independent media and human rights organisations to carry out monitoring and verification to shed light in a transparent manner on the reports and allegations.
The UN secretary-general’s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, on Monday morning briefed the Security Council in closed consultations on developments and is ready to support efforts towards an inclusive Syrian-owned and -led political transition, Dujarric said.
The UN resident humanitarian coordinator for Syria, Adam Abdelmoula, and the regional humanitarian coordinator for the Syria crisis, Ramanathan Balakrishnan, in a statement last week jointly urged all parties to protect people and infrastructure and to allow safe, unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid.
They said a staff member of the UN relief agency for Palestinian refugees, known as UNRWA, was among those killed in Jableh on Thursday.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk on Sunday called for a prompt, transparent and impartial investigation into all the killings and other violations, and said those responsible must be held to account, in line with international law norms and standards.
–IANS
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