Statement by UNFPA Arab States Regional Director, Laila Baker, on the recent violence in coastal areas in Syria
12 March 2025
Cairo – I am deeply alarmed by the recent violence in Syria’s coastal areas, where civilians were killed and injured, including a UN staff member. I condemn the targeting of healthcare workers, hospitals and health facilities - attacks on civilians and on healthcare are a violation of international humanitarian law and cannot be tolerated.
Peace must prevail. After fourteen years of conflict, women and girls in Syria thirst for peace, recovery, and space to rebuild their shattered lives. They crave safety, healthcare, jobs and education, and an end to violence, displacement and destruction.
Syria’s recovery and transition must be grounded in justice, based on the principles of non-discrimination and leverage the critical role that women play in peacebuilding.
UNFPA will continue to provide essential reproductive healthcare services to women and girls in need, and work on preventing and responding to gender-based violence. Protecting women and girls from violence is a moral imperative and a cornerstone of sustainable peace.
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About UNFPA
UNFPA is the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency. UNFPA's mission is to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled. UNFPA calls for the realization of reproductive rights for all and supports access to a wide range of sexual and reproductive health services, including voluntary family planning, quality maternal health care and comprehensive sexuality education.
For more information, please contact:
Samir Aldarabi
Regional Communication Adviser Arab States Regional Office
Mobile: 00201068484879
Email: aldarabi@unfpa.org
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