Delivered by the Deputy Permanent Representative of Estonia to the UN, H.E. Mr. Gert Auväärt
We thank Under Secretary-General Lowcock for his briefing. We express our gratitude to all humanitarian workers on the frontlines in Syria and elsewhere.The current pause in hostilities has indeed led to an improvement of the situation for thousands of Syrians. We need to work towards making this arrangement a permanent one.
What the spread of Covid-19 really underlines, is the importance of unimpeded humanitarian access. Most vulnerable to the virus in Syria are those crammed into overcrowded camps of displaced people. Unfortunately, less than half of OCHA’s access requests receive a positive answer from the Syrian authorities. These limitations mostly apply to Eastern Ghouta, Deraa, and areas in the Northeast of Syria.
Likewise, most of Syria’s prisons remain out of the reach of humanitarian organizations. We believe more could be done, and once again ask the Syrian government to grant access to all those in need.
We appreciate Turkish efforts in solving the issues surrounding Allouk water station in Northeast of the country. Recent reporting indicates that there have been improvements with both power-supply and access to clean water among the local communities. Creating conditions for proper sanitation have become even more important in light of Covid-19 pandemic.
Considering the challenges, Estonia supports all efforts of humanitarian penholders Belgium and Germany in reaching a swift renewal of the cross-border mandate in July. It is clear that both cross-line and cross-border mechanisms are required to reach all Syrians.
Finally, we also strongly support UN Secretary General’s call for a global ceasefire amid the Covid-19 pandemic. However, we refuse to politicize the issue, especially when it comes to restrictive measures against certain individuals and entities linked to the Syrian regime.
All accusations that EU sanctions somehow undermine the fight against Covid-19 outbreak in Syria are baseless. These measures do not in any way target medical supplies, but strictly those people, who have committed crimes against Syrians.
