Syria – Situation in Idlib (24 December 2019)

France firmly condemns the intense and indiscriminate air bombings by the regime and its allies in Idlib Governorate in recent days. They have caused the death of dozens of civilians according to the United Nations, while tens of thousands of civilians have had to flee the fighting.

The military offensive by the Damascus regime and its allies is worsening the humanitarian crisis that is affecting three million civilians in Idlib, more than 400,000 of whom have been displaced since May. In this context, it is more important than ever for the United Nations to retain the most direct and effective access to populations in need, through the continuation of cross-border assistance.

Given the humanitarian emergency, France calls upon all members of the Security Council, including Russia and China, to shoulder their responsibilities and adopt the renewal of the resolution that makes such access possible. For its part, France has released additional emergency assistance of €5.27 million for the civilian population of north-west Syria, via the UN Cross-Border Humanitarian Fund based in Gaziantep.

France calls for immediate de-escalation in Idlib. The ongoing offensive compromises efforts to achieve a negotiated political settlement of the Syria crisis in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2254.