Merve Aydogan
22 January 2026•Update: 22 January 2026
HAMILTON, Canada
The UN said Thursday that the security situation in Syria remains highly volatile, with clashes and a deepening humanitarian crisis.
Khaled Khiari, assistant secretary-general for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific in the departments of political and peacebuilding affairs and peace operations, told the Security Council that talks failed to move the needle.
"A further round of talks between the Syrian Government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to implement the 10 March 2025 agreement on 4 January did not yield progress," he said.
Noting that with mediation from the US and other international partners, a ceasefire and integration agreement was announced Jan. 18 to halt the fighting and bring the three northeast governorates under central government control, Khiari said Syrian President Ahmad Al-Shara later announced a "shared understanding" providing the YPG/SDF a four-day consultation period.
"We are now two days into this critical period," Khiari said, adding that "the situation on the ground remains very tense, with exchanges of fire and clashes between government forces and the SDF in parts of Hasekeh governorate and also on the outskirts of Ayn al Arab, also known as Kobane, an SDF-controlled enclave, where access is challenging, given ongoing clashes."
"Let me note that there is an alarming humanitarian and protection crisis, with an urgent need for all sides to ensure the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, and to ensure immediate and unimpeded humanitarian access," he said.
Expressing the UN's full support for Syria's political transition, Khiari noted that "much has been achieved in post-Assad Syria,"including the return of nearly 3 million refugees and internally displaced persons.
Still, he cautioned that "the country remains extremely fragile after 14 years of devastating conflict."
He warned that ISIS/Daesh "is still a persistent threat," and urged continued international cooperation, saying the Syrian government has joined forces with international partners in the Global Coalition Against Daesh.
He condemned Israeli attacks in southern Syria, saying, "Israeli incursions in southern Syria continue to undermine Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity."
Khiari reiterated the UN chief's demand that Israel “refrain from violations of Syrian sovereignty and territorial integrity" and urged respect for the disengagement agreement, calling for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the UN peacekeepers' areas.
Edem Wosornu, director of the operations and advocacy division within the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), highlighted the scale of the humanitarian situation, saying that "as Syria enters the second year of its new chapter, the determination of its people to build a better future is both palpable and encouraging."
But she said that "recent weeks have underscored how acutely vulnerable the country is to the impacts of hostilities and natural hazards such as winter storms. and why humanitarian needs remain substantial."
Saying that the UN and its partners continue to deliver aid despite access challenges, Wosornu reported that "the Syria Humanitarian Fund has released $2.5 million to rapidly assist displaced people and cushion the effects of severe winter conditions."
Wosornu warned of deadly contamination from unexploded ordnance, saying that "over 540 people" were killed and "nearly 1,000 injured in 2025."
She added that extreme weather and drought have compounded the crisis, with "70% of the last wheat harvest" damaged.
"The UN is providing heating fuel and winter assistance, but only a quarter of the $112 million needed to support people this season has been received," she said, leaving millions without adequate support.
Wosornu said progress depends on international backing, citing "increased investment in recovery and development ... sufficient and sustained humanitarian funding,” and "active diplomacy to prevent further violence and protect civilians."
"Reversing a humanitarian crisis of the scale and complexity of Syria's was never going to be easy," she said, urging, "We must do all we can to support the people of Syria in this effort."
