The UN Resident Coordinator in Syria, Adam Abdelmoula, is optimistic about the country’s future. However, he’s warned of two main threats: humanitarian challenges and the volatile security situation.

Damascus

Following the removal of Bashar al-Assad, Syria is undergoing a political transition marked by significant security and humanitarian challenges. Adam Abdelmullah, the outgoing UN humanitarian coordinator in Syria, expressed cautious optimism about the country's future but highlighted the risks facing the transition. He emphasized the need for the new government to promote inclusiveness, adhere to international human rights standards, and engage in dialogue with minority groups.

Sectarian violence and demands for autonomy from minority groups, such as the Kurds and Druze, have intensified, making the security situation unpredictable. The humanitarian crisis remains severe, with a large portion of the population in need of aid, widespread destruction of housing, and a sharp decline in purchasing power. The new leadership's credibility is being tested as it seeks to restore social cohesion and stability.

Syria's transition: National security among top political concerns

Adam Abdelmullah represented the United Nations in Syria during the regime of Bashar al-Assad. He was also in Damascus when Assad was ousted in December. On his last day as UN humanitarian coordinator, Abdelmullah said he was optimistic about the future but warned the transition could be at risk. We need to give very, very candid advice to the government as to what is it that is needed for the transition to succeed. That includes to show more inclusiveness and to show more adherence to international human rights principles and to open the door wider for dialogue, especially with the minority groups. Bouts of sectarian violence have deepened divisions and underlined the challenges facing the new leadership. There is a threat of renewed conflict as minority groups double down on demands for autonomy and decentralization, whether in the Kurdish-controlled northeast or in the Druze-majority region in the southwest. Together with the rising rhetoric on the side of the Druze leadership calling for secession and the standoff that continues between the SDF and the government makes the security situation extremely unpredictable. The humanitarian situation is dire, with 24 percent of houses either completely destroyed or not suitable to live in. Livelihoods also haven't improved, with nearly 17 million people in need of aid. lost one-third of their purchasing power, while the prices have gone up. So if you combine the economic situation, the economic downturn and the humanitarian situation, that appears to me to be a perfect disorder. Syria remains fragile, with fault lines and a daunting legacy left by the Assad regime. Now the new leadership's credibility is being tested. And in the words of the UN coordinator, it needs to reduce tensions and restore the social fabric and cohesion, because there is no plan B. Zinek Hoder, Al Jazeera, Beirut.

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