Turkish airstrikes on power stations in northeast Syria disrupted essential services, depriving nearly a million people of water for weeks, noted Paulo Pinheiro, head of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria, on Monday.
Pinheiro emphasised the critical need for an end to the conflict in Syria, citing the country’s deteriorating safety and the increasing number of Syrians fleeing, amidst a backdrop of escalating hostilities and a lack of political resolution.
Speaking at the 55th Session of the UN Human Rights Council, Pinheiro called for “an end to the conflict and to find an inclusive path towards a just political settlement.”
Pinheiro noted the grim prospects of reaching a political settlement in Syria, with little progress on security, refugees and drug issues. He highlighted the impact of Turkish airstrikes on northeast Syria’s infrastructure, disrupting essential services and leaving nearly a million people without water for weeks.
Addressing the underlying factors of the migration crisis, Pinheiro highlighted the displacement of Syrians forced to sell ancestral lands to finance dangerous escapes in search of safety. He noted that in October 2023, 24,000 asylum seekers arrived in Europe, while the rate of voluntary returns to Syria fell by 27 percent that year, shedding light on the dire circumstances driving Syrians away from their homeland.
Pinheiro highlighted that the need for humanitarian assistance in Syria has reached its peak at 16.7 million people, largely due to escalating military conflicts, including Turkish operations in the north.
He also pointed to the plight of nearly 30,000 children in northeast Syrian camps years after the defeat of ISIS, urging states to facilitate their return and reintegration. Moreover, Pinheiro condemned ISIS’s escalating attacks and the continued deaths and abuses in Syrian and Turkish-backed detention facilities, calling for immediate action to halt these atrocities and work towards a peaceful resolution in Syria.
The Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, commonly known as the Caesar Act, a United States legislation that imposes sanctions on Syria, including Syrian officials, entities and anyone who aids or engages in significant financial transactions with the Syrian government, presents challenges for humanitarian action, including hindered aid delivery due to economic downturn and operational difficulties.
While aiming to pressure the Syrian government, the sanctions exacerbate Syria’s economic hardship, indirectly affecting humanitarian operations and increasing the Syrian population’s needs. The Act complicates procurement and funding processes for NGOs, potentially impacting the trust and efficiency of aid delivery within Syria.
The dire circumstances Pinheiro outlines are vividly exemplified in Afrin (Efrin), which fell under Turkish occupation six years ago in 2018. Marking the sombre anniversary, ANHA reported on the stark figures that illustrate the ongoing human and environmental toll in the region.
In the wake of Turkey’s occupation of Afrin, reports from 2023 detail 16 direct civilian killings, 369 kidnappings and the cutting down of over 17,700 trees. Additionally, there were 137 illegal real estate sales and 59 severe beatings of civilians.
The conflict between mercenaries resulted in six deaths and numerous injuries, along with 10 explosions causing further casualties. The construction of four settlements aimed at demographic change was also noted. In early 2024, eight Kurdish civilians were killed, over 80 Afrin residents were kidnapped and 2,400 trees were cut down, exacerbating the region’s plight.
The most recent atrocity in Afrin, northwestern Syria, was the brutal murder of a local Kurdish boy, Ahmad Khaled Mamo, on 13 March, igniting widespread condemnation. Yamen Ahmad Ibrahim, a settler who relocated to Afrin six years prior, is accused of “brutally” stabbing Mamo multiple times before discarding his body in a well, highlighting the ongoing violence against Kurds under the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army’s control. This heinous act, reportedly premeditated and possibly involving other conspirators, underscores the dire situation for Kurds in Afrin and calls for urgent international intervention to address these human rights violations.
