UN urges global unity for Syria's reconstruction

GENEVA

The time is now for the international community to support the “spirit created by Syrian people” to rebuild their country after the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

"At this moment, the world needs to rally behind the Syrian people and provide them with all the possible support," OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke told Türkiye’s state-run Anadolu Agency on Dec. 19.

"Borders will open, visas for aid workers will be granted and there will be things we have long lacked. These measures will enable us to reach every corner of the country, helping the approximately 17 million people still in need of humanitarian assistance."

Laerke also noted that it is promising news for the millions of refugees abroad and the internally displaced individuals within Syria, who are now able to return home and begin the process of rebuilding their nation.

The U.N. migration agency stated that, since the fall of the Assad regime on Dec. 8, nearly 100,000 people have returned to Syria.

Laerke highlighted that, despite the U.N.'s call for nearly $4 billion in aid, less than a third of this target has been funded.

In urging all neighboring countries to open their border gates to humanitarian aid, Laerke highlighted Türkiye’s crucial role in this effort, calling it a "lifeline."

"Look at the images on your television screens. Who wouldn’t be moved by the ‘now is the time to rebuild this country’ spirit? We hope this is followed by solidarity from the international donor community," he added.

He emphasized that now is the right time to support Syria, underscoring the urgency of this assistance.

Fletcher pledged to make crucial visits to both regional countries and international donors for aid efforts, confirming the U.N.'s backing for Syria's post-civil war recovery.

He acknowledged, however, the mixture of hope and anxiety that surrounds the country, stressing that the international community, including the U.N., must address the historical challenges Syria has faced.

The toppling of Assad's regime in Syria has brought uncertainty as the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, which leads the opposition forces, rooted in Al-Qaeda and is considered a terrorist organization by several countries.

In a BBC interview aired on Dec. 19, HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani stated that Syria would not resemble Afghanistan. Jolani said the countries were very different, with different traditions. Afghanistan was a tribal society. In Syria, he said, there was a different mindset.

Voicing similar concerns, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on Syria's triumphant HTS rebels to follow through on promises of inclusion, saying it can learn a lesson from the isolation of Afghanistan's Taliban.

"The Taliban projected a more moderate face, or at least tried to, in taking over Afghanistan, and then its true colors came out. The result is it remains terribly isolated around the world," Blinken said at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York.