UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Syria Adam Abdelmoula announced Monday the launch of a plan for Early Recovery Strategy in Syria for the years 2024 to 2028.
Abdelmoula said donor countries need to fund this strategy if they want to avoid instability in Syria that could have global repercussions. He stressed the strategy is necessary to secure the return of the Syrian refugees back home and to prevent the resurgence of ISIS.
At a press conference in Damascus, Abdelmoula spoke about the profound consequences of the crisis that began in 2011 in Syria, leaving a devastating impact on the country’s most vulnerable and marginalized populations, including nearly seven million internally displaced persons.
“Today, over 16 million people in Syria require some form of life-saving and life-sustaining assistance,” he said.
The UN official added that this five-year strategy focuses on four key and integrated strategic areas: health, nutrition, and education; water, sanitation, and hygiene; and sustainable livelihood opportunities.
He noted that the strategy emphasizes that reliable access to electricity is fundamental to all these efforts.
According to Abdelmoula, the strategy is designed to benefit all Syrians, regardless of their place of residence and that it provides the foundation for an effective and sustainable recovery.
The strategy will begin with the establishment of a dedicated fund that will enable the United Nations and humanitarian actors to provide aid for Syria, according to Abdelmoula.
He said the fund needs to be registered with the office responsible for registering funds in New York, in order to contract directly with donors to provide donations and contributions, stressing that these programs will be implemented in all Syrian provinces.
“This fund will be flexible and cost-effective, allowing the United Nations and other humanitarian organizations to provide the necessary resources for early recovery interventions in the medium term,” he explained.
He stressed the importance of early recovery in Syria, noting that over the past month, thousands have fled Lebanon to Syria; 70% of them Syrians, the rest Lebanese and foreigners.
Therefore, he said, it is important to support the host communities in Syria in order for them to accommodate migrants without stress.
“What is happening in Syria and Lebanon is becoming increasingly unacceptable, and we expect renewed crises in Syria,” Abdelmoula warned.
Without a response, instability will spread to neighboring countries, and this will lead to increased ISIS operations, he continued.
Addressing donor countries, he said, “for your sake”, support must be given to Syria, adding that the country has become a hub for the production of the Captagon narcotic. “If you are worried about insecurity, refugees and terrorism, then we have to invest in Syria’s stability.”
