Syria’s political transition reached an important milestone with the establishment of a People’s Assembly and a Constitutional Supreme Court, senior United Nations officials told the Security Council on Tuesday. However, they warned that continued insecurity, Israeli incursions, other Israeli military activity, and a severely underfunded humanitarian response threaten the country’s progress.
“The past month has demonstrated both the opportunities and the fragility of Syria’s transition,” Claudio Cordone, Deputy Special Envoy for Syria, speaking via video-link from Damascus, told the 15-member Security Council.
The overthrow of Bashar al-Assad's government in December 2024 marked a watershed moment in Syria's modern history, ending more than five decades of family rule and over thirteen years of devastating conflict. Since then, Syria’s new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has engaged more closely with the international community, undertaking significant reforms and promising accountability for past atrocity crimes.
Cordone stressed that the seven-member Supreme Constitutional Court includes two women, while the People’s Assembly, which just held its inaugural session, includes 206 members from varied professional, political, tribal, and social backgrounds. However, women account for only 22 members.
“Ensuring effective responses to questions of inclusion, participation and representation will continue to be essential for stability in Syria,” Cordone said, adding that the consolidation of the legislative and the judicial institutions as independent from the executive will be an “important component” of the political transition.
Reporting on judicial proceedings, he said that “beyond criminal accountability, we look forward to further efforts to define a comprehensive Syrian-led and Syrian-owned transitional justice framework.” He called for reparations and recognition of survivors’ experiences. He also noted progress on military, judicial and administrative integration in north-eastern Syria.
Regarding southern Syria, he expressed concern that the political impasse in Sweida remains unresolved. He condemned attacks by armed groups and Israeli military activity, warning that incursions and restrictions on civilians “heighten regional tensions” and risk undermining confidence in the transition.
“The success of this transition will not be judged solely by the institutions that are created, but by how they function,” he said.
Humanitarian needs remain vast
“Syria stands at a pivotal moment,” echoed Edem Wosornu, Director of the Crisis Response Division at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), who also briefed the Security Council.
“After years of conflict, displacement and economic collapse, there is now a real opportunity to help Syrians move from dependence on emergency assistance towards recovery and self-reliance,” Wosornu said,
“This opportunity is closely linked to the government's efforts to advance national recovery priorities and restore the conditions that enable Syrians to rebuild their lives, livelihoods and communities.”
While noting that since December 2024, 1.7 million refugees and 1.9 million internally displaced persons have returned to their communities, she said that 5.5 million people remain displaced within Syria and more than 6 million Syrian refugees remain abroad.
“But returns are not the finish line – they are the starting point. Every family that returns needs safety, services and a reason to stay home,” she added.
An estimated 15.6 million people — nearly two-thirds of the population — still require humanitarian assistance, including around 80 percent of the population in southern Syria
"Across the country, millions of people struggle to find enough food, access safe water and healthcare, send their children to school, or earn a steady income. For many families, daily life continues to be defined by difficult choices and uncertainty," Wosornu said, stressing that the crisis is changing, but “far from over.”
However, funding is not keeping pace with the scale of the needs. At the year’s midpoint, the US$2.9 billion humanitarian appeal has received just under one-third of the requested amount, or $815 million.
“Funding gaps mean less food, fewer health services, fewer much-needed protection programs for women and children,” the UN official said, noting that the impact of underfunding is already visible.
Since May, the World Food Programme (WFP) has halved emergency food assistance, from 1.3 million people to 650,000, she warned. At least 20 aid agencies providing emergency health assistance have had to suspend some activities fully or in part.
“These cuts are increasing pressure and tensions between communities. If support is not restored, they could also undermine wider stability,” Wosornu said,
“This is a moment to invest – this is not a moment to step back. The cost of inaction today will be greater needs tomorrow.”
She asked Council members to provide sustained and predictable humanitarian funding and investments in the foundations of recovery. Finally, she called on them to prevent further instability, protect civilians, and preserve humanitarian access.
“The Syrian people have endured years of crisis. They deserve relief from hardship and a credible path towards a more stable and prosperous future,” she concluded.
“They need the support to match their extraordinary resilience. Humanitarians remain committed to supporting them.”