The Secretary-General called for full respect for international law and the protection of civilians, while highlighting the importance of ensuring the security of detention centers.
He urged the parties to continue dialogue, move forward in good faith and work together to ensure the implementation of all agreements.
Fearing for families
The U.N. human rights office, OHCHR, was “concerned by reports of new fighting between the Syrian army and the SDF, despite the January 18 ceasefire agreement,” spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said earlier in Geneva.
Rolando Gómez of the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) described the overall situation as “worrying, particularly the damage to critical infrastructure.”
He expressed concern for families who cannot leave conflict zones and for those who have recently been displaced.
A fragile transition
Syria remains on a fragile path towards political transition following the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024 and almost 14 years of civil war.
The transitional government has been recapturing territory in the northeast under Kurdish control and clashes have occurred in the governorates of Aleppo, Raqqa, Deir-ez-Zor and Al Hassakeh.
Speaking in New York, Syria’s ambassador to the UN, Ibrahim Olabi, told reporters that the government and the SDF had reached “a common understanding” on several issues relating to the future of Al Hassakeh governorate.
The SDF will be granted “a four-day period for internal consultations develop a detailed plan for practical mechanisms for the integration of the area,” he said during a press conference at UN headquarters.
Syrian troops will not enter the cities of Al Hassakeh and Qamishli and will remain on their outskirts until a plan is finalized.
ISIL detention camps
Northeastern Syria is home to several prisons housing thousands of ISIL fighters. The terrorist group, also known as Daesh, once controlled large areas of the country and neighboring Iraq in its attempt to establish an Islamist caliphate, committing mass executions, rape, forced recruitment and other atrocities along the way.
Tens of thousands of civilians with suspected links to the militants, mainly women and children, are housed in separate detention camps, such as the famous Al-Hol Camp: home to more than 30,000 people.
Ceasefire and clashes
The ceasefire announced Sunday came after weeks of deadly fighting. The truce requires that the authorities take over the areas controlled by the SDF and that its forces be integrated into the national army, among other points.
Clashes resumed a day later, during which approximately 120 ISIL fighters escaped from prison in the town of Al-Shaddadi, according to media reports, although most have been captured.
Ms. Shamdasani recalled that OHCHR has long stated that any integration of security forces into the institutions of the Syrian State, in particular the SDF forces, “must take place within an appropriate investigative process based on human rights ensure that no person involved in human rights violations or abuses is integrated.”
Humanitarian support
Meanwhile, humanitarian workers have been providing assistance in the four affected governorates, including trauma care, water and hygiene support and psychosocial support, the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, reported on Monday.
Public services have been suspended in the city of Deir-ez-Zor and key transportation routes have been temporarily closed, leaving civilians without access to education and healthcare.
Additionally, damage to critical infrastructure in the city of Raqqa has restricted access between neighborhoods and disrupted main water supplies.
OCHA noted that people continue to flee the cities of Raqqa and Tabqa, as well as the city of Thawra, and are heading towards the governorates of Al Hassakeh and Qamishli.
Hundreds of families are still unable to leave Tabqa and are taking refuge in public facilities.
Assessments are being carried out to determine people’s needs, while humanitarian workers continue to call for sustained and safe access to the population.