Overview
- Council co-leads reported from their Damascus and Beirut visit that members reaffirmed Syria’s sovereignty and signaled support to finalize a reconfiguration of the UN presence in Damascus, with plans to relocate the Special Envoy’s office.
- UN agencies said they now reach about 3.4 million people each month, a 25% increase over last year, but the 2025 appeal is roughly 30% funded despite a new $18 million CERF allocation.
- Humanitarian operations are shifting from the former cross-border setup to standard commercial supply channels, with all sub‑national hubs reporting to Damascus and a new Humanitarian Coordinator in place.
- UN briefers reported more than 2 million internal returns and over 1.3 million refugee returns, yet many families face damaged infrastructure, limited services and scarce jobs that keep needs high.
- Officials warned of ongoing threats including the recent Palmyra attack, July’s Sweida displacement of about 155,000 people and an Israeli operation in Bait Jin that killed 13 and affected 2,000, and urged de‑escalation and respect for Syria’s sovereignty.