Representatives of UNSC member states convene an online meeting on the Syrian situation on September 16 (Photo: VNA)New York (VNA) - Ambassador Pham Hai Anh, Deputy Permanent Representative ofVietnam to the UN, has expressed concern at seeing no improvement in the humanitariansituation in Syria in the face of a much broader spread of COVID-19.
Anh made thestatement during a UN Security Council (UNSC) video conference on the situationin Syria on September 16.
He reiteratedthe necessity to ensure continuous and unobstructed deliveries of humanitarian aidto all areas in Syria, saying concerned parties must strengthen cooperation andmaintain a security environment conducive to the passage of humanitarian supplies.
The ambassadoralso called on the international community to further ramp up support for Syria,with the main focus placed on response to the COVID-19 pandemic, to not worsen thesituation in the Middle Eastern country.
In his remarks,UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator,Mark Lowcock, said Syria has 3,618 confirmed cases of coronavirus but the actualnumber may be much higher due to limited testing.
“We will notbe able to grasp the extent of the outbreak until laboratory testing is increasedacross the country,” Lowcock said. “We do know that community transmission is widespread,as almost 90 percent of newly-confirmed cases cannot be traced to a known source.Infection rates among health workers have also been rising.”
Syria lackedthe health workers it needed even before the pandemic, he said, adding that supplyshortages and temporary shutdowns add even more pressure to its decimated healthsystem.
The WorldHealth Organisation (WHO) has been coordinating COVID-19-related relief effortsin Syria. It has worked to expand the country’s testing capacity and provision ofpersonal protective equipment and medical supplies.
Meanwhile,the UN has been making extra efforts to provide access to humanitarian aid, mainlyfood, to about 7.4 million Syrians each month.
Syria hasentered its 10th year of instability and conflict, creating one of the most serioushumanitarian crises in history, with hundreds of thousands of people dead or injuredand millions of others losing their homes./.
VNA
