On 28 July 2025, Syria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Qusay al-Dhahak, addressed the UN Security Council, outlining the country’s escalating challenges—including ongoing security threats, Israeli airstrikes, and a deepening humanitarian crisis—despite the easing of Western sanctions. His remarks underscored the urgent need for sustained international engagement and an end to external aggression to support Syria’s recovery. In parallel, U.S. Acting Permanent Representative Dorothy Shea condemned recent violence in Suweida, called for accountability, and urged the Security Council to revise sanctions to aid Syria’s reconstruction and counter-terrorism efforts. This report synthesises their statements within the broader context of current UN deliberations and regional developments.
Syria’s Multifaceted Challenges
Dhahak outlined what he described as “serious challenges and complex difficulties” facing Syria, including persistent threats from terrorist groups such as Daesh (Islamic State). He cited a Daesh attack on Mar Elias Church in Damascus’s Dweila district on 22 June 2025, reaffirming Syria’s determination to combat terrorism and appealing for international support.
He also strongly condemned ongoing Israeli airstrikes, accusing Israel of destabilising Syria by inciting internal discord and expanding its occupation, particularly through activities in the occupied Golan Heights. Dhahak called on the Security Council to denounce these attacks, enforce Israeli compliance with the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement, and demand full Israeli withdrawal from recently seized Syrian territories.
Despite the lifting of sanctions by the U.S., EU, UK, and Switzerland in 2025, Dhahak noted that Syria’s humanitarian crisis remains dire. He pointed out that only 13% of the UN’s 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan for Syria has been funded. This, coupled with severe climate change impacts—including the worst drought in 30 years and widespread wildfires in Latakia—has compounded the crisis. Dhahak appealed for increased international assistance, urging alignment with Syrian state institutions and respect for national sovereignty in all humanitarian and developmental operations.
U.S. Perspective and Call for Accountability
Dorothy Shea condemned recent atrocities in Suweida, stressing the importance of accountability to rebuild trust between the Syrian government and its diverse communities. She welcomed President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s pledge to investigate these violations and expressed U.S. interest in reviewing the National Fact-Finding Committee’s findings on violence in the coastal region in March 2025.
“Peace and stability in Syria cannot be achieved without accountability and justice,” Shea asserted, calling for comprehensive investigations and prosecutions regardless of the perpetrators’ affiliations.
Shea also highlighted U.S. efforts to facilitate intra-Syrian dialogue and promote Syria-Israel discussions to foster regional stability. She urged all parties to honour ceasefire agreements, facilitate prisoner exchanges, and guarantee unimpeded humanitarian access. The U.S., she emphasised, supports Syria’s territorial integrity and a political transition that includes all sectors of society, based on non-sectarian governance.
Sanctions Relief and UN Reform Proposals
Shea noted recent shifts in U.S. policy, including the delisting of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) as a terrorist organisation, following its formal dissolution and the Syrian government’s intensified efforts to combat terrorism. She tied these developments to President Trump’s decision in May 2025 to lift U.S. sanctions—describing it as a step toward supporting a “stable, unified, and peaceful Syria.”
Shea encouraged the Security Council to reassess sanctions under Resolution 1267, which targets Al-Qaeda and Daesh affiliates, to ensure they do not hinder reconstruction or legitimate investment. She argued that sanctions should be narrowly focused on “the most dangerous and unrepentant actors,” while enabling broader engagement in Syria’s recovery.
Dhahak echoed this call, insisting that the continued impact of sanctions remains a barrier to economic recovery. He cited government progress, including the completion of a fact-finding report on coastal violence and the submission of a draft electoral system for the People’s Assembly.
Humanitarian Crisis and Regional Instability
Syria’s humanitarian situation remains critical. An estimated 16.5 million people—roughly three-quarters of the population—require assistance in 2025. Since December 2024, the return of over 719,000 refugees, including more than 205,000 from Lebanon, has strained already fragile services.
Unexploded ordnance continues to claim lives, with at least 414 fatalities—one-third of them children—reported since December, presenting a major obstacle to safe returns. Meanwhile, only $260 million of the UN’s $2 billion appeal for the first half of 2025 has been secured, threatening the continuity of hospital services, food distribution, and other essential aid.
Israeli airstrikes—numbering in the hundreds since December 2024—and Israel’s expansion into Syrian territory, including the UN buffer zone in the Golan Heights, have further fuelled regional tension. In May, the UN Syria Commission warned that these developments, coupled with sectarian clashes in Suweida and the Damascus countryside, risk broader destabilisation.
Dhahak accused Israel of exploiting the situation in Suweida to justify aggression, but reiterated the Syrian government’s commitment to delivering aid and pursuing justice for violations.
International Response and the Sanctions Debate
The lifting of sanctions by the U.S., EU, UK, and Switzerland has been widely welcomed as a step towards Syria’s economic recovery. UN experts, in a July 2025 review, noted that earlier sanctions had unintended humanitarian impacts—impeding access to food, healthcare, housing, and education. However, certain UN sanctions under Resolution 1267 continue to complicate aid delivery and reconstruction.
The International Crisis Group has called on the Security Council to expand humanitarian exemptions and consider delisting HTS and its leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, as part of efforts to support Syria’s transition.
Shea encouraged other states to follow the U.S. lead, stressing that sanctions should not deter legitimate investments. The EU’s €2.5 billion commitment and the UK’s $207 million pledge reflect growing international support, but major funding shortfalls persist.
Syria is grappling with a complex web of challenges—ranging from terrorism and Israeli military actions to an intensifying humanitarian crisis—despite recent progress on sanctions relief. While Dhahak has urged deeper international engagement and an end to external interference, the U.S. has stressed the need for justice, inclusive governance, and a revised sanctions framework to enable sustainable recovery.
As the Security Council seeks to reconcile counter-terrorism efforts with humanitarian imperatives, Syria’s path to stability will depend on sustained funding, meaningful dialogue, and respect for its sovereignty. The coming months will be crucial in determining whether this pivotal transition phase can deliver genuine relief and long-term peace for the Syrian people.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
