The United Nations Security Council met today in New York to discuss the situation in Syria after the downfall of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
The closed emergency session reviewed developments in Syria and their implications for the U.N. Disengagement Observer Force, a peacekeeping mission that maintains a ceasefire between Syria and Israel.
Over 16 million people in Syria require humanitarian aid, according to the U.N. “Transport routes have been disrupted, limiting movements of people and goods, as well as the delivery of humanitarian aid,” U.N. spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said ahead of the meeting.
The emergency Security Council session was requested by Russia, according to the U.N. and Russia’s deputy U.N. Ambassador Dmitry Polyansky.
Assad is reportedly in Moscow. According to Russian state media, his family has been granted asylum in Russia.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also said yesterday that the Israeli military has been deployed to former Syrian military posts in Syria, in what he called a “temporary defensive position”. Israel has reportedly launched a series of air strikes on Syrian weapon sites from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights buffer zone.
Israel told the Security Council before the meeting that armed groups allegedly attacked U.N. Disengagement Observer Force posts.
Assad was ousted on December 8 after an offensive led by militant groups like Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.
“Let me urge all Syrians to prioritize dialogue, unity, and respect for international humanitarian law, and human rights as they seek to rebuild their society,” said U.N. Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen before the session.