Barham Salih calls for full implementation of Damascus-Syrian Kurds agreement

According to the Kurdistan Press Agency, Barham Salih said in an interview with "Amargi" after the UN Security Council meeting on the situation of Syrian refugees: He hopes that the agreement between Damascus and the Syrian Kurds will progress and be fully implemented so that the Syrian people can live in peace and stability and have the opportunity to rebuild their lives and livelihoods.Barham Salih, who recently visited Syria, said he hopes the situation in the country will be fully stabilized and that Syria will move on the path of peace, coexistence and prosperity.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees also announced in his first report to the UN Security Council that since December 2024, some 3.8 million Syrians who were displaced inside or outside the country have returned to their areas of residence.

Referring to the efforts of the Syrian people to rebuild their country, he said that their determination and will to rebuild is “undeniable”, but the will alone is not enough to rebuild a country. According to Salih, Syria needs the continued participation of the international community and investment in the reconstruction process so that those who return to the country can stay there and rebuild their lives.Barham Salih emphasized that simply crossing the border and returning home is not the solution to the problem of displacement, and what happens after return is of fundamental importance.

In another part of his speech on the displacement crises in the world, he described Sudan as the largest displacement crisis in the world, saying that nearly 12 million people have been displaced in this country and about 4.5 million Sudanese refugees are also living in neighboring countries.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees also reported to the Security Council on the crises in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ukraine, Western Sahara, Yemen, the Sahel region, and the situation of the Rohingya.

In part of the meeting, Barham Salih also emphasized the need to reduce the dependence of long-term refugees on humanitarian assistance and explained the "50 by 35" plan, which aims to reduce the number of refugees who are still dependent on humanitarian assistance by 50 percent by 2035.