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24Aug17

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42nd report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of Security Council resolutions 2139 (2014), 2165 (2014), 2191 (2014), 2258 (2015) and 2332 (2016)

United Nations
Security Council

S/2017/733

Distr.: General
24 August 2017
Original: English

Implementation of Security Council resolutions 2139 (2014), 2165 (2014), 2191 (2014), 2258 (2015) and 2332 (2016)

Report of the Secretary-General

I. Introduction

1. The present report is the forty-second submitted pursuant to paragraph 17 of Security Council resolution 2139 (2014), paragraph 10 of resolution 2165 (2014), paragraph 5 of resolution 2191 (2014), paragraph 5 of resolution 2258 (2015) and paragraph 5 of resolution 2332 (2016), in which the Council requested the Secretary-General to report, every 30 days, on the implementation of the resolutions by all parties to the conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic.

2. The information contained herein is based on data available to United Nations agencies and from the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic, as well as from other Syrian and open sources. Data from United Nations agencies on their humanitarian deliveries have been reported for the period from 1 to 31 July 2017.

II. Major developments

Box 1
Key points in July 2017

(1) Several international initiatives carried out in July were focused on reducing violence and supporting a political solution for the Syrian Arab Republic, including the seventh round of formal intra-Syrian talks in Geneva, held from 10 to 14 July. A ceasefire initiative for an area including parts of Qunaytirah, Dar'a and Suwayda' Governorates in the south-western part of the country reportedly resulted in a significant drop in violence.

(2) In Raqqah city, heavy clashes, shelling and air strikes continued to result in significant civilian casualties and injuries. Between 20,000 and 50,000 people remain trapped in the city. The number of people displaced since 1 April across the north-eastern part of the country by the offensive continued to grow, surpassing 200,000.

(3) An eruption of fighting between non-State armed opposition groups in Idlib Governorate resulted in civilian casualties. The Bab al-Hawa border crossing area, used for United Nations cross-border operations from Turkey, was temporarily closed for a week owing to the fighting; humanitarian partners' operations were also affected.

(4) On 30 July, a United Nations inter-agency cross-line operation was the first convoy ever to reach the besieged town of Nashabiyah, in eastern Ghutah. The convoy provided 7,200 people with assistance. Five other inter-agency convoys were dispatched in July, reaching some 190,500 people in hard-to-reach locations.

(5) The removal of medical supplies from humanitarian convoys remains a major challenge, with supplies sufficient for more than 66,884 treatments removed in July.

3. My Special Envoy for Syria convened the seventh round of formal intra-Syrian talks in Geneva from 10 to 14 July. The High Negotiations Committee, along with the Cairo and Moscow platforms, coalesced around common positions regarding the principles underpinning the talks and the schedule and process for the drafting of a new constitution. The Government also continued to discuss the aforementioned principles and to focus on counter-terrorism issues. During the intra-Syrian talks, my Special Envoy also met with the Syrian Women's Advisory Board and sought its insights and inputs. Immediately following the seventh round of talks, between 17 and 27 July, the Office of the Special Envoy conducted a series of simultaneous regional consultations in Beirut; Gaziantep, Turkey; and Amman that involved more than 120 actors and networks from Syrian civil society. Those consultations were conducted to strengthen the inclusivity and continuity of the Civil Society Support Room as well as its impact on the Geneva political process.

4. Prior to the formal intra-Syrian talks, my Special Envoy, along with technical experts from his Office, attended the 4-5 July meeting of the Astana guarantors – Iran (Islamic Republic of), the Russian Federation and Turkey – of the 4 May 2017 memorandum on the creation of de-escalation areas. During this round, the guarantors were not able to reach final agreement on the operational and technical modalities for all de-escalation areas. There was some continued discussion on confidence-building measures on humanitarian demining and on the issue of detainees and missing persons.

5. The Presidents of the Russian Federation and the United States of America, following coordination with Jordan, announced a separate ceasefire agreement for the south-western area of the Syrian Arab Republic at the summit of the Group of 20 held in Hamburg, Germany, on 7 and 8 July. The ceasefire went into effect on 11 July, and since then the southern governorates of Dar'a, Qunaytirah and Suwayda' have witnessed a significant reduction in hostilities. In Dar'a city, only occasional ground-based strikes were reported after the ceasefire, with no air strikes reported in the city itself. Other areas controlled by non-State armed opposition groups in the governorate were hit by sporadic air strikes. Intermittent ground-based strikes and remote-controlled explosive devices also detonated on roadsides during the month, reportedly killing civilians.

Figure I
Key dates in July 2017

Box 2
Dayr al-Zawr

(1) The are a of Dayr al-Zawr city under governmental control has been besieged by Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) since July 2014, which has deprived up to 93,500 people of regular access to food and medicine. During the reporting period, the situation of civilians in the besieged parts of Dayr al-Zawr city remained precarious. Clashes between Syrian government forces and ISIL and affiliated groups continued in various parts of the city, with high toll of civilian deaths and injuries reported.

(2) The humanitarian situation continued to deteriorate throughout the month. Reports indicate that ISIL militants blocked the water supply to the besieged neighbourhoods during part of July. Civilians depend on untreated river water for regular consumption, which has reportedly led to illness. Civilians are also reported to be affected by highly inflated food prices, with limited food items available in the markets.

(3) Basic medical equipment is scarce, and medical treatment is limited to informal emergency care. During the last week of July, 150 new cases of kidney disease alone were registered in the hospital in Dayr al-Zawr city. The hospital, however, does not have sufficient medicine to care for all patients. Many civilians have been injured as a result of artillery and aerial shelling, yet trauma care is scarce. Meanwhile, ISIL continues to prevent even severely ill patients from seeking medical treatment in areas outside of its control.

(4) As the besieged areas of the city cannot be accessed by land owing to the ISIL presence, the World Food Programme (WFP) completed 287 airdrops between April 2016 and the end of July 2017, dispatching approximately 5,570 metric tons of WFP mixed food commodities and other humanitarian supplies, including nutritional items, medical kits and basic relief items, on behalf of other humanitarian actors. The Syrian Arab Red Crescent ensures the distribution of the airdropped assistance.

6. Rif Dimashq Governorate continued to witness high levels of violence in July. The earlier part of the month saw an escalation of conflict in eastern Ghutah. Clashes persisted in Duma and the surrounding areas, such as Hawsh al-Dawahira, as well as the south-eastern part of eastern Ghutah. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) also received increased reports of strikes and ground combat around residential areas of Ayn Tarma, Hazzah, Zamalka and Irbin. A ceasefire covering the besieged area of eastern Ghutah, initiated by the Russian Federation and brokered in Cairo, was declared on 22 July. This led to an overall decline in hostilities during the last week of the month, although air strikes and ground-based strikes continued in Ayn Tarma and the adjacent area of Jawbar in Damascus, as well as in Government-controlled parts of Damascus. In the western part of eastern Ghutah, government forces and their allies reportedly carried out near-daily ground-based strikes and air strikes on areas under the control of the armed opposition group Rahman Corps, which was not a party to the 22 July agreement.

7. July saw a major escalation in fighting in Idlib between the Jabhat Fath al-Sham-led Levant Liberation Organization and the non-State armed opposition group Ahrar al-Sham. Although no air strikes were reported in July, civilian casualties were reported, owing to the significant increase in clashes between Ahrar al-Sham and the Levant Liberation Organization. Those clashes ended with the Levant Liberation Organization emerging as the dominant force in Idlib after seizing positions from Ahrar al-Sham along the Turkish border, including the Bab al-Hawa crossing, used by the United Nations and its partners to deliver humanitarian assistance. The border area was closed from 19 to 25 July; additionally, some humanitarian activities within the governorate were also affected by insecurity. After the Levant Liberation Organization had withdrawn from Bab al-Hawa and handed it back to the local civilian administration, the crossing reopened for humanitarian shipments.

8. Elsewhere in Idlib Governorate, the situation in the besieged towns of Fu'ah and Kafraya remained precarious. Following a period of four months since the last inter-agency convoy to the towns, food stocks in Fu'ah and Kafraya are nearly depleted. The prices of available basic food items are several times higher than in the rest of the governorate. Non-State armed opposition groups and Jabhat Fath al-Sham have surrounded the besieged villages of Fu'ah and Kafraya since April 2015, imposing strict restrictions on humanitarian access, commercial traffic and freedom of movement.

9. The situation in Aleppo Governorate remained relatively calm during July. Aleppo city, which remains within the range of non-State armed opposition groups, was hit by sporadic ground-based fire. Non-State armed opposition groups clashed with the Kurdish People's Protection Units (Yekineyen Parastina Gel, or YPG) around Jarabulus city in eastern rural Aleppo in early July. There were also reports of ground-based shelling between YPG and forces on the Turkish side of the border.

10. Multiple national and international actors remained involved in the conduct of military operations against ISIL in Raqqah Governorate, with an escalation of air strikes and ground-based strikes on Raqqah city and elsewhere in the governorate. From 1 April through the end of July, more than 200,000 people were displaced owing to these operations. The Syrian Democratic Forces, backed by the United States-led international counter-ISIL coalition and led by YPG, surrounded the city of Raqqah and, on 6 July, broke through the old city walls. By the end of July, the Syrian Democratic Forces reportedly controlled more than half of the city.

11. The humanitarian situation inside Raqqah city remains dire, with the population (numbering between 20,000 and 50,000) reportedly facing deteriorating humanitarian, health, living and security conditions. Civilian movement in and out of the city is undertaken at great personal risk as a result of the presence of mines, as well as shelling, sniper activities and air strikes. Those who flee face a number of protection risks, including punitive measures put in place by ISIL, threats posed by mine contamination, family separation, and forced recruitment at checkpoints, as well as the confiscation of identification documents and restricted movement upon entering displacement camps.

12. The United States Department of Defense publicly confirmed that in July the United States-led coalition had conducted 194 strikes against ISIL targets in Dayr al-Zawr Governorate – 70 in and around ISIL-controlled Albu Kamal city and 124 in Dayr al-Zawr city. The situation in Dayr al-Zawr city remained extremely difficult, as outlined in box 2. Meanwhile, government forces and their allies advanced through the desert area near the Iraqi border towards Albu Kamal city.

13. OHCHR documented frequent air strikes and ground-based strikes on ISIL-controlled areas in the southern part of Hasakah Governorate in July, some of which reportedly led to civilian casualties. ISIL fighters also carried out periodic ground-based strikes on surrounding Kurdish-controlled areas. The United States Department of Defense publicly confirmed that, in July, the United States-led coalition had conducted 45 strikes against ISIL targets in the governorate, nearly all of them in Shaddadah.

14. Despite efforts of the United Nations and its partners at all levels, the situation of internally displaced persons in the Kurdish Self-Administration-run Hawl and Mabruk camps, in Hasakah Governorate, remains dire and is exacerbated by the high summer temperatures. The management procedures and administrative requirements of the Kurdish Self-Administration with regard to internally displaced persons pose significant additional challenges to the internally displaced, including the confiscation of identification documents and the restriction of movement. Furthermore, access restrictions on humanitarian operations (of the United Nations, international non-governmental organizations and national non-governmental organizations) applied by the Kurdish Self-Administration in the north-eastern part of the Syrian Arab Republic limit the humanitarian response. Those restrictions include bureaucratic impediments and the suspension of regular programme activities in Hasakah in an effort to direct aid to specific areas.

15. The government offensive aimed at retaking ISIL-held areas in rural eastern Hama continued in July, with air strikes and ground-based strikes in support of ground forces in and around the ISIL-held area of Uqayribat. On 5 July, the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation indicated that long-range strategic bombers had launched cruise missiles at ISIL warehouses of weapons and ammunition as well as at a command post on the border of Hama and Homs Governorates. The Ministry also publicly stated on 24 July that some 20,000 square kilometres had been "liberated" over the previous two months and that Russian aerospace forces had conducted 2,010 combat flights for that purpose, with 5,850 air attacks carried out against command posts, weapons and ammunition warehouses, and bases and training camps. It added that the most important ISIL facilities had been hit with sea-launched cruise missiles and air-launched missiles, and concluded that any efforts by terrorists and their supporters to disrupt reconciliation would be suppressed and operations aimed at liberating territory of the Syrian Arab Republic from ISIL and the Levant Liberation Organization would continue.

16. The United States Department of Defense publicly confirmed that in July, the United States-led international counter-ISIL coalition had carried out 885 strikes against ISIL targets in the governorates of Dayr al-Zawr, Hasakah, Homs and Raqqah. Of those strikes, 645 were reported to have been in Raqqah city and, as stated above, 194 in Dayr al-Zawr Governorate.

17. On 23 July, a joint operation was launched by Hizbullah and the Syrian army along the Syrian-Lebanese border. On 26 July, a local agreement between Hizbullah and the Levant Liberation Organization was reached in order to evacuate fighters and civilians from nearby refugee camps to Idlib. By the end of the reporting period, some 5,288 people had reached parts of Idlib and Aleppo Governorates. The United Nations was neither part of the negotiations nor part of the implementation of the agreement. The new influx adds to the already precarious situation in Idlib, where 1 million internally displaced persons are living, many forced to relocate from formerly besieged areas in the Syrian Arab Republic as a result of previous such agreements. Humanitarian partners continue to provide multisectoral assistance to those in need in Idlib.

18. Along the Syrian-Jordanian border, at the area known as the berm, approximately 50,000 people remain in a precarious protection, security and humanitarian situation. The establishment of a corridor controlled by the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic north of the berm has reportedly resulted in restrictions on the movement of both people and goods to the berm from within the Syrian Arab Republic. As the Government consolidates its control in the east, military action has intensified, heightening levels of insecurity. United Nations agencies have expressed concerns regarding the safety and security of the civilian population in the settlements of Hadalat and Rukban at the berm. The last cycle of distribution of humanitarian assistance was halted on 15 June. The United Nations has urgently sought a resumption of the distribution of aid and the authorization to register the population as a means of further facilitating the delivery of assistance.

19. In a note verbale dated 2 August, the Permanent Mission of the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic provided OHCHR with a table of figures concerning alleged civilian casualties in the governorates of Aleppo, Damascus, Dar'a, Dayr al-Zawr, Hama, Hasakah, Homs, Idlib, Ladhiqiyah, Rif Dimashq, Suwayda' and Qunaytirah resulting from the firing of mortars and the use of improvised explosive devices by various "terrorist" armed groups for the period from 22 June to 21 July. The note indicated that 81 civilians had reportedly been killed, among them 15 children, and 489 civilians reportedly injured, including 89 children.

20. OHCHR received reports of the use of toxic agents in several instances, including on 1 and 14 July in Zamalka and Ayn Tarma, eastern Ghutah, Rif Dimashq Governorate, although the Office was unable to independently corroborate those allegations.

Protection

21. The United Nations and health partners received credible reports of eight attacks that had affected health-care facilities and personnel in July, of which two have been verified and six are currently being verified. One verified incident affected a hospital in Kafr Nubl city, Idlib Governorate, which sustained minor damage owing to an attack with a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device near the hospital. No casualties were reported. A second verified incident occurred during a vaccination campaign in the town of Mayadin, Dayr al-Zawr Governorate. A vehicle operated by medical personnel administering the vaccinations was hit by an air strike and was destroyed.

22. In July, the United Nations verified the following attacks occurring in June: on 15 June in the afternoon, an empty school in Sousa, Albu Kamal, Dayr al-Zawr Governorate, allegedly used by ISIL, was targeted by four rockets, resulting in damage to its walls; and on 27 June, more than 40 rockets reportedly impacted the Kashif neighbourhood of Dar'a city, causing extensive damage to the building of a nearby kindergarten. The number of casualties among children and educational personnel is not yet known.

Humanitarian access

Box 3
Key points for humanitarian access

(1) Some 1 3.5 million people in the Syrian Arab Republic remain in need of humanitarian assistance, including 6.3 million internally displaced persons. An estimated 3.9 million people live in hard-to-reach areas, and another 540,000 people are currently besieged in 11 areas. Seven areas are besieged by the Government (80 per cent of the total besieged population), one by both the Government and non-State armed opposition groups (1 per cent of the total besieged population), two by non-State armed opposition groups (2 per cent of the total besieged population) and one by ISIL (17 per cent of the total besieged population).

(2) On 30 July, with a convoy to Nashabiyah, eastern Ghutah, reaching 7,200 people, one besieged area was reached through United Nations inter-agency cross-line operations during the reporting period, beyond Dayr al-Zawr (reached through airdrops; see box 2, para. 4). Five more inter-agency convoys were dispatched during the reporting period, reaching some 190,500 people in the following hard-to-reach locations: (a) Yalda, Babila, Bayt Saham and Tadamun; (b) Hulah; (c) Harbinafsih; (d) Dar al-Kabirah, Ghantu and Tayr Ma'lah; and (e) Dayr Khabiyah and Zakiyah. This brings the total number of people reached under the June-July plan to 400,000, or 37 per cent of the overall number of people to whom access was originally requested under the plan. Moreover, on 27 July a Syrian Arab Red Crescent convoy delivered United Nations and International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) medical and nutritional items for 35,000 people in need in besieged eastern Ghutah in Rif Dimashq Governorate through Duma city, with a second batch of supplies planned to be delivered in the near future. The removal of medical supplies from the convoys remains a major challenge, with supplies sufficient for more than 66,884 treatments removed in July.

(3) Owing to security concerns on the Syrian side of the border, Turkish authorities temporarily closed the Bab al-Hawa crossing point to commercial traffic from 19 to 25 July. New cross-border regulations have been set up by the Turkish border administration to restrict goods that can be shipped commercially. However, the United Nations has been informed that these new regulations would not affect United Nations humanitarian shipments. During the reporting period, approximately 700,000 people were provided food assistance by the United Nations and partners through cross-border operations from Turkey and Jordan.

(4) Land deliveries to the north-eastern governorates through the Aleppo-Manbij route proceeded in a regular manner throughout the reporting period. In July, through those deliveries, the United Nations provided food assistance to 193,950 people in Hasakah Governorate, to 165,500 people in Raqqah Governorate and to 15,000 people in north-western Dayr al-Zawr Governorate. The United Nations also reached Mansurah, in Rif Dimashq Governorate, and Thawrah city (Tabaqah) and rural areas north of Raqqah city, in Raqqah Governorate, for the first time in three years, delivering food for some 30,000 people.

(5) Since late 2016, approximately 290,000 people have returned to the formerly besieged areas of Aleppo city; they are now receiving monthly United Nations food rations as well as fresh bread on a daily basis. In addition, the United Nations provided 56.7 metric tons of fortified wheat flour to the hard-to-reach neighbourhood of Shaykh Maqsud, enabling daily bread distributions for 18,900 people.

23. The delivery of humanitarian assistance to people in need remained extremely challenging in many areas of the country as a result of active conflict, shifting conflict lines, administrative impediments and deliberate restrictions imposed on the movement of people and goods by the parties to the conflict. In particular, access for the United Nations and its partners to those living in besieged and hard-to-reach locations remained a critical concern. The United Nations inter-agency convoy plan for June and July requested access to 27 locations, including besieged areas, seeking to reach 1,081,900 people. In July, however, only six inter-agency convoys could be dispatched to besieged and hard-to-reach locations, reaching only 197,700 of the 227,250 people in need in those areas (see table 3 for a list of inter-agency convoys sent in July). In addition, a Syrian Arab Red Crescent convoy delivered United Nations and ICRC medical and nutritional items for people in need in besieged eastern Ghutah, in Rif Dimashq Governorate, through Duma city, reaching 35,000 people. The total number of people reached under the June-July plan is 400,000, or 37 per cent of the overall number of people to whom access was originally requested under the plan. That number does not include convoys carrying supplies delivered by other humanitarian actors.

24. Individual agencies continued to submit requests for single-agency deliveries during the reporting period to locations across the country. WFP submitted 1,741 official requests to obtain facilitation letters for the transport of food assistance to targeted locations across the country, and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees submitted 44 facilitation letters for the movement of core relief items and livelihood kits, the large majority of which were approved. Moreover, both international and Syrian non-governmental organizations continued to undertake needs assessments and provide support (including medical, educational, psychosocial and protection services) in besieged and hard-to-reach locations, under extremely challenging circumstances and in accordance with humanitarian principles.

Figure II
United Nations inter-agency cross-line humanitarian operations: percentage of people reached each month in besieged areas, including through airdrops to Dayr al-Zawr city

25. The majority of United Nations agencies and partners continue to be unable to gain access to populations in need in areas of the country controlled by ISIL, as all plans to deliver assistance to those areas have been suspended as a result of continued security concerns. This has prevented the United Nations and its humanitarian partners from reaching Raqqah city and most of Dayr al-Zawr Governorate, as well as pockets of northern rural Aleppo and north-western rural Hama.

26. Land deliveries to the north-eastern governorates through the Aleppo-Manbij route proceeded in a regular manner in July. Through those deliveries, the United Nations provided food assistance to 193,950 people in Hasakah Governorate, to 165,500 people in Raqqah Governorate and to 15,000 people in north-western Dayr al-Zawr Governorate. Furthermore, starting in July, fortified wheat flour was added to the food rations provided in the north-eastern governorates. Wheat flour had not been included previously owing to the limited cargo capacity of the airlifts. Since the resumption of land deliveries in June, a total of 105 trucks have arrived at the WFP warehouse in Qamishli, enabling the United Nations to provide assistance to 374,450 people in hard-to-reach areas of Hasakah, Raqqah and Dayr al-Zawr Governorates.

Figure III
United Nations inter-agency cross-line humanitarian operations by land, July 2017

27. Life-saving and life-sustaining medical items sufficient for more than 66,884 treatments were removed from convoys in July by the Syrian authorities. Details regarding the treatments and supplies removed are shown in table 1. Additional medical supplies were scheduled to be delivered as part of the bimonthly inter-agency convoy plan, but only five inter-agency convoys were able to proceed during the June-July cycle. Furthermore, since the beginning of 2017 the World Health Organization (WHO) has submitted 10 single-agency requests to the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic to gain access to 14 locations in six governorates. The Government has approved five requests, four remain unanswered and one has been rejected.

Table 1
Medical supplies removed from humanitarian convoys in July 2017

Location No. of treatments Types of supplies
Yalda, Babila, Bayt Saham and Tadamun 1 160 Oxygen concentrators, sterilizers, X-ray devices, surgical cautery device for operating rooms, adult ventilators, ultrasound systems and medicines including analgesics, pneumonia kits, anti-hypertensives and anti-epileptic medication
Hulah and Harbinafsih 10 751 Minor surgery instruments, ultrasound systems, electrocardiograph instruments and medicines including antihypertensives, anti-epileptic medication, carbamazepine, pneumonia kits, anti-asthma medication, salbutamol, beclomethasone dipropionate and inter-agency emergency health kits 2011. The number of midwifery kits was reduced from 8 to 2 by the Ministry of Health in the approval letter, and quantities of povidone-iodine solution were also reduced. Resuscitation kits were not approved for loading.
Dayr Khabiyah and Zakiyah 1 230 Reduced quantity of anti-asthma medicine
Dar al-Kabirah, Ghantu and Tayr Ma'lah 6 789 Minor-surgery instruments, ultrasound systems, electrocardiograph instruments, medicines including antihypertensives, anti-epileptic medication, carbamazepine, pneumonia kits, anti-asthma medication, salbutamol, beclomethasone dipropionate and inter-agency emergency health kits 2011. The number of midwifery kits was reduced from 2 to 1. Resuscitation kits were not approved for loading.
Duma 46 954 Medical equipment, including defibrillators, adult ventilators, ultrasound systems, portable X-ray machines, autoclave, flame photometer and incubators

Humanitarian response

28. In July, United Nations humanitarian agencies and partners continued to reach millions of people in need through all available modalities, including from within the Syrian Arab Republic, in collaboration with the Syrian authorities, and across its borders (see table 2). In addition to the United Nations and partners, non-governmental organizations continued to deliver life-saving assistance to people in need. The Government continued to provide basic services both in areas under its control and in many beyond its control. Local authorities in many areas controlled by non-State armed opposition groups also continued to provide services when possible.

Table 2
Number of people reached by the United Nations and other organizations, July 2017

Organization Number of people reached
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations 73 230
International Organization for Migration 45 000
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees 130 740
United Nations Children's Fund >2 100 000
United Nations Development Programme 125 396
United Nations Population Fund 250 000
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East >250 000
World Food Programme >4 200 0000
World Health Organization 860 371

29. During the reporting period, cross-border deliveries continued from Turkey and Jordan into the Syrian Arab Republic under the terms of Security Council resolutions 2165 (2014), 2191 (2014), 2258 (2015) and 2332 (2016) (see figure IV for details). In line with those resolutions, the United Nations notified the Syrian authorities in advance of each shipment, including its content, destination and number of beneficiaries. The United Nations Monitoring Mechanism for the Syrian Arab Republic continued its operations, monitoring 391 trucks used in 17 convoys by six United Nations entities in July, confirming the humanitarian nature of each and notifying the Syrian authorities after each shipment. The Mechanism continued to benefit from the excellent cooperation of the Governments of Jordan and Turkey.

Figure IV
Number of beneficiaries assisted by the United Nations and its partners per cluster through cross-border humanitarian deliveries, July 2017

30. In July, WFP carried out 22 high-altitude airdrop rotations to Dayr al-Zawr city, airdropping food rations sufficient for 50,445 people as well as supplies from other humanitarian actors. Since the start of airdrop rotations in April 2016, the United Nations has completed 287 rotations, dispatching more than 5,570 metric tons of food assistance and supplies to those in need in Dayr al-Zawr city.

Table 3
Inter-agency cross-line humanitarian convoys, July 2017

Date Location Requested target (number of beneficiaries) Number of beneficiaries reached Type of assistance
7 July Yalda, Babila, Bayt Saham and Tadamun 51 000 35 000 Multisectoral
15 July Hulah 89 000 89 000 Multisectoral
15 July Harbinafsih Multisectoral
22 July Dar al-Kabirah, Ghantu and Tayr Ma'lah 37 750 33 500 Multisectoral
29 July Dayr Khabiyah and Zakiyah 33 000 33 000 Multisectoral
30 July Nashabiyah 16 500 7 200 Multisectoral

31. During the reporting period, WHO, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and their implementing partners delivered more than 860,000 medical treatments in 10 governorates, including nearly 480,000 treatments across borders and 245,000 treatments across conflict lines. WHO and UNICEF also supported 150,000 consultations and distributed 46 pieces of medical equipment to various hospitals and clinics. Moreover, a polio vaccination campaign was conducted in Dayr al-Zawr Governorate from 22 to 26 July, reaching a total of 259,958 children (aged 0-59 months), or 79 per cent of the total target.

32. On 23 July, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) started the third round of cash assistance for 2017, benefiting up to 418,000 Palestine refugees in the Syrian Arab Republic. Moreover, the first round of food distributions was carried out from 19 February to 30 July, with more than 367,000 Palestine refugees receiving food parcels.

33. Throughout July, the Russian Federation sent to the United Nations information bulletins from the Russian Centre for Reconciliation of Opposing Sides in the Syrian Arab Republic, which outlined the provision of bilateral relief assistance. Other Member States also continued to provide bilateral and other forms of humanitarian assistance.

Visas and registrations

34. A total of 81 new United Nations visa requests were submitted to the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic in July. Of these, 33 were approved, 2 were denied and 46 remain pending. Of the new visa applications submitted in earlier months, a further 19 were approved in July and 18 remain pending. A total of 60 United Nations visa renewal requests were submitted in July, of which 53 were approved and 7 remain pending. A further 16 visa renewals submitted in earlier months were also approved, while 3 remain pending.

35. A total of 22 international non-governmental organizations are registered with the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic to operate in the country. Four international non-governmental organizations are in the process of completing their registrations. Those organizations continued to face a series of administrative hurdles and restrictions that affected their ability to operate, including in gaining permission to undertake independent needs assessments. The Syrian authorities have, however, initiated dialogue with the United Nations and international non-governmental organizations to streamline and simplify registration and operational procedures for international non-governmental organizations. Moreover, some 217 national non-governmental organizations are authorized by the Syrian Arab Republic to partner with the United Nations.

Safety and security of humanitarian personnel and premises

36. Since the start of the conflict, dozens of humanitarian workers have been killed, including 21 staff members of the United Nations, of whom 17 were UNRWA staff members, 65 were staff members and volunteers of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, and 8 were staff members and volunteers of the Palestine Red Crescent Society. In addition, many staff members of international and national non-governmental organizations are reported to have been killed.

37. A total of 28 United Nations staff members, including 1 UNDP staff member and 27 UNRWA staff members, are detained or missing.

III. Observations

38. As demonstrated by concurrent developments in Astana, Amman and Cairo during the reporting period, there remain persistent and determined efforts to reduce violence through de-escalation agreements. I welcome those efforts, and I hope that the Astana guarantors will soon reach an agreement on the finalization of operational and technical modalities for all de-escalation areas, particularly Idlib, as well as for the promotion of confidence-building measures regarding the issue of detainees, abductees and missing persons and humanitarian demining.

39. I urge all parties to work together to consolidate and expand these ceasefires. I wish to stress that any reduction in hostilities must also generate concrete results for safe, unimpeded and sustained freedom of movement and humanitarian access. Access to areas identified for de-escalation, and to many other areas across the Syrian Arab Republic where needs are great, remains far short of what is required. Millions of civilians remain without critical life-saving assistance. In particular, in areas where there has been a decrease in fighting, there is no excuse for any side to restrict access.

40. Furthermore, while acknowledging that de-escalation areas can contribute to the reduction of violence, I urge all countries to preserve the right of all Syrians to seek asylum and enjoy refugee protection until conditions are conducive to return in safety and in dignity. I wish to reiterate that any evacuation of civilians must be safe, voluntary and to a place of their choosing. Additionally, de-escalation areas are, and must remain, interim in nature. The United Nations stands ready to provide technical support and expertise to assist with interim arrangements for de-escalation, as they have the potential to produce the stability required to support an inclusive political process guided by resolution 2254 (2015).

41. Air and ground-based strikes continue to kill, injure and displace civilians in significant numbers. As ISIL continues to lose ground, concerns about the civilian population remaining under its control increase, while at the same time those who are able to flee the fighting face difficult and worsening conditions in camps. I reiterate my call that all those conducting military operations in the Syrian Arab Republic must do so in compliance with international humanitarian law, in particular as it relates to the protection of civilians, who have already lost so much in this terrible conflict, and to civilian infrastructure.

42. I remain deeply troubled by the ongoing allegations of serious violations and abuses of international human rights law and serious violations of international humanitarian law that are having a grave impact on the lives of civilians across the country. I call on all parties to end indiscriminate attacks. I call again for the situation in the Syrian Arab Republic to be referred to the International Criminal Court. I also call on the Syrian Arab Republic to grant access to the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic. In addition, I call on all Member States, all parties to the conflict, civil society and the United Nations system as a whole to cooperate fully with the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism to Assist in the Investigation and Prosecution of Persons Responsible for the Most Serious Crimes under International Law Committed in the Syrian Arab Republic since March 2011.

43. Ultimately, the political process is the only course that can provide a lasting solution to the Syrian conflict and bring an end to the tremendous suffering of the Syrian people. I am encouraged that the seventh round of formal intra-Syrian talks in Geneva generated incremental and positive progress. I strongly concur with my Special Envoy on the need to emphasize the importance of continuing to engage with civil society to support the inclusive mediation approach of the United Nations. In support of my Special Envoy, I welcome the constructive engagement by the High Negotiations Committee and the Cairo and Moscow platforms during the seventh round of talks in Geneva, and I urge them to continue to consolidate common positions. I urge the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic to constructively formulate concrete thinking with regard to the four baskets, namely, governance issues, constitutional issues, electoral issues, and issues related to counter-terrorism, security and confidence-building measures, particularly the schedule and process for drafting a new constitution, so that substantive and direct political negotiations can occur during the forthcoming eighth round of intra-Syrian talks.

44. While the political process continues, those affected by the conflict continue to suffer. With 13.5 million people living in the Syrian Arab Republic and another 5 million having fled their country, the needs are staggering. The United Nations will continue to focus on meeting their needs, providing life-saving assistance and advocating their protection, but meaningful progress will require that all parties respect their obligations under international humanitarian and international human rights law.

Annex

Incidents affecting civilians recorded by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, July 2017 |ª|

Rif Dimashq and Damascus Governorates

  • On 1 July, an aid worker was reportedly killed by a strike in Zamalka while providing humanitarian support to those wounded.
  • On 2 July, a car bomb detonated in the Bab Tuma neighbourhood of Damascus, allegedly causing the deaths of at least six civilians and wounding an unknown number.
  • On 2 July, ground-based strikes hit residential areas in the vicinity of a mosque in opposition-controlled Duma, reportedly resulting in the death of a male civilian.
  • On 3 July, a male civilian was allegedly killed by a sniper in the residential area of Khams in Zamalka.
  • On 3 July, ground-based strikes hit a residential area in Duma, reportedly killing two male civilians.
  • On 4 July at approximately 8.30 a.m., air strikes hit a residential area of Duma and allegedly killed two civilians – a woman and a child – and injured at least five others, including two children.
  • On 5 July, ground-based strikes hit residential areas in Duma and reportedly killed a male civilian.
  • On 10 July at approximately 12 p.m., ground-based strikes hit a market in Kafr Batna and allegedly resulted in the death of two male civilians and the injury of an unknown number of others, including children.
  • On 12 July at approximately 9.30 a.m., ground-based strikes hit a residential area of Duma and reportedly killed two civilians, including a woman and a 7-month-old girl.
  • On 13 July in the morning, air strikes hit residential areas of Hazzah and Ayn Tarma and allegedly killed two civilians – one of them a woman – in Hazzah and two civilians in Ayn Tarma.
  • On 13 July, air strikes hit a residential area of Hazzah, reportedly resulting in the deaths of two male civilians.
  • On 14 July, eight successive air strikes hit a residential area in Ayn Tarma, impacting a residential building that collapsed and allegedly killing at least 14 civilians, including 5 women, 2 boys and a girl, and wounding more than 30 others. Among the 14 reportedly killed was a family of three – both parents and their daughter. A woman injured during the incident died on 17 July.
  • On 14 July in the morning, air strikes hit a residential area in Zamalka and reportedly killed one male civilian.
  • On 14 July, air strikes hit a nearby residential area in Hazzah and allegedly caused the death of a male civilian and the injury of several others.
  • On 16 July at approximately 11.30 a.m., two successive air strikes hit the main road between Hazzah and Zamalka, impacting a residential area in Hazzah and reportedly killing a boy and a girl.
  • On 17 July, a civilian woman was allegedly killed when air strikes hit residential areas of Duma.
  • On 17 July, air strikes hit a building in a residential area of Jawbar, reportedly resulting in the death of two civilians – a wife and her husband.
  • On July 24 at approximately 11.30 p.m., seven air strikes hit residential areas of Irbin and allegedly killed at least seven civilians, including a woman and three girls, in addition to causing numerous casualties, including among children.

Dar'a Governorate

  • On 1 July at approximately 12.40 p.m., air strikes hit the town of Muzayrib, reportedly resulting in the death of three civilians – two children and an internally displaced man.
  • On 1 July, ground-based strikes hit a residential area in the opposition-controlled town of Da'il, allegedly killing a civilian woman.
  • On 1 July, ground-based strikes hit the Government-controlled neighbourhood of Kashif in Dar'a city, reportedly causing the death of a married civilian couple.
  • On 2 July at approximately 1 a.m., ground-based strikes hit residential areas on the western side of opposition-controlled Sanamayn, allegedly causing the death of a civilian.
  • On 2 July at approximately 2 p.m., ground-based strikes hit opposition-controlled Tafas city, allegedly killing one male civilian.
  • On 3 July, ground-based strikes hit the opposition-controlled town of Izra', reportedly killing one civilian woman and wounding several other civilians.
  • On 5 July, ground-based strikes hit a residential area in the Government-controlled neighbourhood of Dar'a al-Mahattah in Dar'a city, allegedly killing one child.
  • On 6 July, ground-based strikes hit the opposition-controlled neighbourhood of Mukhayyam Dar'a, reportedly resulting in the death of a displaced girl from Qunaytirah.
  • On 7 July, air strikes hit the opposition-controlled village of Ayb, allegedly killing a displaced child and injuring an unknown number of other civilians.
  • Between 9 and 12 July, Jaish Khalid ibn al-Walid fighters in Shajarah reportedly killed a 21-year-old civilian man from Tasil and a 52-year-old civilian man from Saham al-Jawlan, accusing them of "blasphemy." Both men were held for several days by the group's "Hisbah" religious police force before being killed.

Aleppo Governorate

  • On 10 July, an 18-year-old female civilian was allegedly shot and killed by a sniper in the village of Tuways, south of the town of Mare' in northern rural Aleppo.
  • On 8 July, a 6-year-old girl was reportedly killed when she was shot in the head near the Basil roundabout area of the Furqan neighbourhood of western Aleppo city.
  • On 10 July, ground-based strikes hit Masjid Ar-Rahman Street in the New Aleppo neighbourhood of western Aleppo city, allegedly killing at least five civilians and injuring nine others.

Idlib Governorate

  • On 4 July, a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device exploded next to a secondary school in Qunaytirah, in western rural Idlib, reportedly killing three male teachers and four boys.
  • On 12 July, ground-based strikes hit rural areas in the vicinity of Jisr al-Shughur city, allegedly injuring four civilians, including a woman and a child.
  • On 14 July, two ground-based strikes hit the villages of Safyan and Bdama, on the western side of Jisr al-Shughur, and reportedly killed one male civilian.
  • On 19 July, more than 1,500 residents of Saraqib reportedly took part in a protest demanding the cessation of fighting between the Levant Liberation Organization and Ahrar al-Sham and the departure of Levant Liberation Organization fighters from the city. When demonstrators reached the vicinity of the court, around 15 Levant Liberation Organization fighters in a pickup truck reportedly fired in the air to disperse protesters before opening fire on the crowd, allegedly killing one journalist and severely injuring two civilians.

Hama Governorate

  • On 2 July, air strikes hit the village of Rasm al-Awabid, 5 km south of Uqayribat, and reportedly killed two boys, one 16 years of age and the other 17.
  • On 21 July at approximately 7 p.m., four ground-based strikes hit the western part of Salamiyah city, allegedly killing 6 civilians, including 3 women, and injuring at least 30 civilians, including women and children. Two civilians reportedly died on 22 July as a result of their injuries.

Dayr al-Zawr Governorate

  • On 8 July, at least 5 civilians, 3 of them children, were reportedly killed and 14 others injured when air strikes hit a residential area of ISIL-controlled Mayadin city in the eastern rural area of the governorate.
  • On 8 July, ground-based strikes hit the Government-controlled Harabish neighbourhood of Dayr al-Zawr city, allegedly striking close to civilian houses and killing two children under the age of 9. In its public reporting, the United States-led coalition stated that on that day four strikes had been carried out near Dayr al-Zawr, destroying 11 ISIL oil stills, 3 oil-still tanks, 3 oil tankers, an oil separator tank, a wellhead and a pump jack.
  • On 10 July, air strikes hit residential areas of Mayadin city and reportedly killed 7 civilians and injured 19 others.
  • On 11 July, three children and their mother were allegedly killed when ground-based strikes hit a residential area in the Harabish neighbourhood of Dayr al-Zawr city. The United States-led coalition publicly reported that on that day it had carried out six strikes on or near Dayr al-Zawr, engaging an ISIL tactical unit and destroying 25 ISIL oil refinement stills, 5 oil tanks and 10 oil tankers.
  • On 11 July, air strikes hit residential areas in ISIL-controlled Albu Kamal city on the eastern side of the governorate and reportedly killed at least 8 civilians, including 3 women and 1 child, and injured at least 27 others, including women and children. The air strikes also reportedly destroyed four civilian houses and several shops in the area. The United States-led coalition publicly reported that on that day it had conducted five strikes near Albu Kamal, destroying 19 ISIL oil refinement stills, 4 weapons caches, 4 wellheads, 3 separator tanks and a storage tank.
  • On 12 July, three civilians were allegedly killed and two others were injured when ground-based strikes hit a residential area in the Government-controlled Qusur neighbourhood of Dayr al-Zawr city. In its public reporting, the United States-led coalition stated that on that day it had carried out six strikes near Dayr al-Zawr and destroyed 16 ISIL oil stills, 10 oil barrels, 6 oil trucks and 2 wellheads.
  • On 15 July, air strikes hit residential areas of Mayadin city near Khawlah bint al-Azwar School and reportedly killed at least five civilians, including two children. The school was not damaged, but the houses in its vicinity were.
  • On 16 July, air strikes hit residential areas in the Mayadin area in the eastern rural part of the governorate, allegedly killing no fewer than 11 civilians, including 4 children, and injuring at least 4 other civilians.
  • On 19 July, air strikes hit residential areas in the town of Ayyash and reportedly killed 15 civilians, including 4 women and 2 children, and injured 18 other civilians.
  • On 24 July, air strikes hit residential areas at the end of Arba'in Street in Mayadin city and allegedly killed at least five civilians and injured several others.
  • On 26 July, air strikes hit three areas in Albu Kamal city, including Thawrah School, where ISIL fighters are known to gather; the outskirts of the city; and a civilian house behind the Khalij gallery. At least nine civilians were reportedly killed, including one woman and two children.
  • On 28 July, air strikes hit a civilian house and allegedly killed at least nine civilians, including a mother and her three children, in the village of Taybah, in eastern rural Dayr al-Zawr.

Raqqah Governorate

  • On 2 July, air strikes hit a residential area close to the Jami' al-Atiq (Old Mosque) neighbourhood of Raqqah city and reportedly killed five civilians from a single family, including three children, and injured at least two other civilians. On the same day, air strikes hit residential areas of the Dariyah neighbourhood in the western part of the city, allegedly killing five civilians – two women and three children. The United States-led coalition publicly reported that on that day it had conducted 14 strikes near Raqqah, engaged 13 ISIL tactical units and destroyed 10 fighting positions and a mortar system.
  • On 4 July, a family of seven civilians were reportedly killed when air strikes hit a residential area of Raqqah city. In its public reporting, the United States-led coalition stated that on that day it had conducted 27 strikes near Raqqah, engaged 19 ISIL tactical units and destroyed 17 fighting positions, three tactical vehicles, another vehicle, two heavy machine guns, a mortar system, a weapons cache, a command-and-control node, a vehicle-borne-bomb facility and a vehicle-borne bomb.
  • On 6 July, air strikes hit residential areas of Raqqah city and allegedly killed at least 4 civilians and injured at least 17 others. The United States-led coalition publicly reported that on that day it had conducted nine strikes near Raqqah, engaged nine ISIL tactical units and destroyed seven fighting positions, an ISIL headquarters and a vehicle bomb.
  • On 9 July, air strikes hit residential areas in Raqqah city and reportedly killed six civilians, including one woman and two children, and injured four other civilians. The United States-led coalition publicly reported that on that day it had conducted 11 strikes near Raqqah, engaging nine ISIL tactical units and destroying seven fighting positions, a weapons cache, a supply cache, an anti-air-artillery system, a tunnel and an ISIL communications tower.
  • On 13 July, seven civilians, including three children and a woman, were allegedly killed when air strikes hit residential areas of Raqqah city. In its public reporting, the United States-led coalition stated that on that day it had carried out nine strikes near Raqqah, engaged five ISIL tactical units, destroyed three ISIL communications towers, three fighting positions, a command-and-control node, a front-end loader and an artillery system, and damaged three supply routes.
  • On 15 July, three civilians, including a woman and a child, were reportedly killed when unexploded ordnance exploded in the village of Akarshah, in the southern rural area of the governorate. The village was under the control of ISIL during the first half of July.
  • On 16 July, air strikes hit residential areas of Raqqah city and allegedly killed 13 civilians, including 4 children and 2 women. The United States-led coalition publicly reported that on that day it had conducted 15 strikes near Raqqah, engaging 1 3 ISIL tactical units and destroying 18 fighting positions, two vehicle bomb factories and a mortar system.
  • On 17 July, air strikes hit residential areas of Raqqah city, reportedly killing 23 civilians, including at least 3 women and 6 children, and injuring 24 others. In its public reporting, the United States-led coalition stated that on that day it had conducted 16 strikes near Raqqah, engaging 10 ISIL tactical units and destroying 13 fighting positions, two ISIL-held buildings, a tactical vehicle and an unmanned aerial system.
  • On 18 July, 7 civilians were allegedly killed and a further 12 injured when air strikes hit residential areas of Raqqah city. The United States-led coalition publicly reported that on that day it had carried out 12 strikes near Raqqah and engaged 11 ISIL tactical units as well as destroying nine fighting positions, two vehicles and a tactical vehicle.
  • On 19 July, air strikes reportedly hit residential areas of the ISIL-controlled village of Zawr Shammar, in the eastern rural part of the governorate, killing 11 civilians.
  • On 19 July, eight civilians were allegedly killed when air strikes hit residential areas of ISIL-controlled Nazlat Shahadah.
  • On 22 July, air strikes hit residential areas in the Dariyah neighbourhood of Raqqah city and reportedly killed six civilians, including a 6-year-old boy and a 7-year-old girl. The United States-led coalition publicly reported that on that day it had conducted nine strikes near Raqqah and engaged seven ISIL tactical units, destroyed eight fighting positions and a mortar system, and damaged two supply routes.
  • On 23 July, air strikes hit residential areas of the ISIL-controlled village of Zawr Shammar and Ma'dan city and allegedly killed 4 civilians in Zawr Shammar and 2 in Ma'dan, with a further 19 injured in both areas. Zawr Shammar is now within the range of fire of the advancing government forces.
  • On 28 July, at least 15 civilians, including 2 women and 8 children, were reportedly killed when air strikes hit their home in the centre of Raqqah city. Among those killed were a mother and her five children. At least three other civilians were also reportedly injured. In its public reporting, the United States-led coalition stated that on that day it had carried out 12 strikes near Raqqah, engaging 10 ISIL tactical units, destroying eight fighting positions, an artillery system and a vehicle, and suppressing a fighting position.

Hasakah Governorate

  • On 3 July, air strikes hit residential areas of the ISIL-controlled village of Ziyanat, south of the town of Shaddadah, in the southern rural area of the governorate, and reportedly killed eight civilians from two families, including one woman and six children.
  • On 4 July, air strikes hit a residential area in the ISIL-controlled village of Tall al-Shayir, south of the town of Shaddadah, in the southern part of the governorate, allegedly killing at least 12 civilians, including 3 women and 2 children.
  • On 11 July, Ziyanat was hit again with air strikes that reportedly killed at least 10 civilians, including 2 women and 1 child.
  • On 12 July, air strikes hit a residential area of the village of Sa'dah, in southern Hasakah, and reportedly killed three civilians – one woman and two children.

Notes:

ª In line with resolution 2258 (2015), the present description of developments on the ground, and the incidents during the month that the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has been able to corroborate, relates to compliance with resolutions 2139 (2014), 2165 (2014) and 2191 (2014) by all parties in the Syrian Arab Republic. The information is provided without prejudice to the work of the Task Force on the Ceasefire of the International Syria Support Group. The reporting is not a comprehensive listing of all violations of international humanitarian law and violations and abuses of international human rights law that took place in the Syrian Arab Republic during the reporting period. [Back]

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