Aftermath of shelling in Aleppo (photo from archive). Change of power in Syria: UN calls for dialogue with all segments of civil society Peace and security
After “decades of brutal repression,” Syrians remain hopeful but anxious about the future, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said on Monday.
Speaking to reporters in Geneva ahead of Human Rights Day, the High Commissioner expressed hope that the historic change of power in Syria over the weekend would provide an opportunity to “build a future based on human rights, freedom and justice.”
“The only way forward is a national political process that ends the long list of suffering, meets the aspirations of all Syrians, and ensures truth, justice, reparations, healing and reconciliation,” he said.
Missing
Türk stressed that the families of those missing, who are believed to number more than 130,000 in Syria, must have clarity about the fate of their loved ones.
The High Commissioner said some families have already been reunited following the release of prisoners, but many others still do not know the whereabouts of their loved ones.
Inclusive dialogue
Turk welcomed the initial statements by the new de facto authorities in Damascus “with caution,” stressing the need for “inclusive dialogue” with representatives of Syrian civil society and for the international community to “remain vigilant” in ensuring that such a process is carried out.
The dialogue must include women, young people and “all segments of Syrian society without exception,” the High Commissioner told reporters in Geneva.
Child Casualties
At least 80 children and adolescents have been killed in Syria in the past two weeks, UNICEF chief Catherine Russell has warned.
“As the situation in Syria rapidly evolves, UNICEF joins the UN Secretary-General’s call for restraint, non-violence and the protection of the rights of all Syrians, especially children,” she said.
Humanitarian Situation
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), before the group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and other opposition forces have launched an offensive and declared victory, with more than 16 million people in Syria already in need of humanitarian assistance.
According to the latest figures from OCHA, about a million people, most of them women and children, have been forced to flee their homes in the provinces of Aleppo, Hama, Homs and Idlib since November 28.
The UN office also reported a growing number of returnees to cities and towns where accommodation and assistance centres are overcrowded and resources are limited. There is an urgent need for shelter and improved sanitation, as well as food and other essential items, OCHA said.