UN Official: Lifting Sanctions on Syria Opens New Opportunities for Humanitarian Cooperation and Reconstruction

The Director of Operations and Advocacy at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Edem Wosornu, stated that lifting sanctions on Syria has given many Syrians hope, especially those returning to their homes, and has opened new opportunities for humanitarian cooperation and reconstruction. She emphasized the importance of working in partnership with the Syrian government and local and international organizations.

In a special interview with SANA, Wosornu pointed to the existing cooperation between UN organizations and the Syrian government, such as the World Health Organization with the Ministry of Health, the World Food Programme with the Ministry of Agriculture, and UNICEF with the Ministry of Education.

She explained that international support should focus on enhancing basic services, creating job opportunities, community reconciliation, and social cohesion.

Wosornu noted that during her visit to Syria, she met with Syrian officials and UN representatives and visited several governorates, including Homs, Latakia, and Aleppo, in order to better understand the needs of the Syrian people following the changes the country has witnessed, especially with the return of residents to their homes and their efforts to regain their livelihoods.

-Syrians Want Tools, Not Just Aid
The UN official stressed the importance of listening to the voices of Syrians at all stages of support, as they do not want just aid but the tools that empower them to rebuild their lives.

She emphasized that the role of the UN is to support the Syrian people without interfering in politics and to stand by them during this critical phase, reaffirming her commitment to convey what she heard and saw from Syrians to the international community during her upcoming visits to Lebanon, Turkey, Geneva, and New York.

Wosornu indicated that citizens who returned from displacement or refugee areas expressed their need for hope for stability and a minimum of basic services such as water, sanitation, and healthcare facilities, along with their desire to work and be self-reliant, which reflects the resilience of the Syrian people.

She pointed out that the UN is committed to its principles, which include independence, neutrality, impartiality, and humanity. She noted that she met with Syrian women who exhibited great resilience and tried to convey their voices to the international community and everyone she met during her visit.

Wosornu highlighted that reconciliation and social cohesion were among the main demands of the residents she met, with specialized UN entities supporting efforts to achieve these goals. She praised the heroic work of volunteers from the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, local women’s organizations, and Syrian doctors returning from countries like Germany and Turkey to work in hospitals such as “Al-Razi” in Aleppo, who only requested technical support and capacity building.

She pointed out that lifting sanctions is an opportunity to enhance humanitarian support and rehabilitate services and infrastructure as the number of returning refugees and displaced persons increases.

Souha Suleiman