UN Security Council convenes over situation in Syria

Members of the UN Security Council discussed the fluid situation in Syria after President Bashar Assad’s fall, opting to stand by and await further developments, according to ambassadors who attended the closed-door meeting.

“The Council, I think, was more or less united on the need to preserve the territorial integrity and unity of Syria, to ensure the protection of civilians, to ensure that humanitarian aid is coming,” Russian UN ambassador Vassili Nebenzia told reporters after the emergency meeting requested by Moscow.

Russia was a key ally of Assad, who was toppled by Islamist-led rebels over the weekend after a short and stunning offensive.

“But look, everyone was taken by surprise by the events, everyone, including the members of the council. So we have to wait,” to see how the situation will evolve, he said.

Deputy US Ambassador Robert Wood called it “a very fluid situation.”

“No one expected the Syrian forces to fall like a house of cards,” he continued.

“As many folks said in the consultations... the situation is extremely fluid and is likely to change day to day for the time being,” Woods said.

However, Woods noted that “just about everyone spoke about the need for Syria’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence to be respected, and concern about the humanitarian situation,” indicating the council is working on a joint statement.

“The intention is for the council to speak with one voice on the situation in Syria,” he said.

When asked about the Islamist Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) group, which led the rebel coalition which toppled Assad, and whether it would be removed from the UN sanctions list, both Nebenzia and Wood said the council has not yet broached the topic.

Since the Syrian civil war first broke out in 2011, the UNSC has largely been paralyzed in its response, with Russia consistently using its veto power to protect Assad’s government.