Country: Syrian Arab Republic Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Please refer to the attached file. As delivered Thank you, Mr. President. The repercussions of the war in the Middle East are reverberating across the region. For Syria, this escalation adds new strain at a fragile moment – one that still offers a genuine opportunity for progress. As Deputy Special Envoy Cordone has just set out, Syria is already experiencing the effects of the military escalation in the region. Falling debris from aerial projectiles have killed or injured several people and damaged property. Over 140,000 people have fled from Lebanon to Syria, most of them Syrian nationals. The escalation precipitated some planned returns for about 30 per cent of those now arriving in Syria. They are joining the 1.5 million refugees who have returned from neighboring countries since December 2024. Some have indicated plans to return to Lebanon when the situation stabilizes. Mr. President, Despite airspace restrictions, the closure of Damascus Airport, and heightened security risks, our operations continue. In northern and eastern Syria the situation has stabilized in recent weeks, but significant needs remain. Many of those displaced during January have returned home, but over 100,000 people remain displaced in Aleppo and Al-Hasakeh governorates. Services are gradually coming back online, but irregular electricity supply continues to disrupt water stations, hospitals and water systems, affecting hundreds of thousands of people. People’s mobility is improving. Key roads connecting Al-Hasakeh with Ar-Raqqa, Deir ez-Zor and Damascus have reopened, and a stretch of the M4 highway has reopened for the first time since 2019. Our humanitarian partners are assisting over 200,000 people a month in areas of return, with food, healthcare, water and household items. But humanitarian aid is no substitute for state-led services. The situation in Ain Al Arab, also known as Kobani, has gr