The spokesman for the European External Action Service (EEAS) stressed, on Sunday 29 March, the EU's support for the call by the UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, for an immediate and nationwide ceasefire throughout the country, particularly in view of the coronavirus pandemic.
As of 29 March, 10 cases of COVID-19 infection, including one death, had been reported in the country.
“The recently agreed ceasefire in Idlib remains fragile. It must be upheld and extended to the whole of Syria”, the spokesman said in a statement. According to him, while the end of hostilities is important in itself, it is also “a precondition for halting the spread of the coronavirus and protecting an already struggling population from its potentially devastating consequences”. He also reiterated Mr Pedersen's appeal for a large-scale release of detainees held by the Syrian regime.
According to the spokesman, the EU stands ready to support, from a humanitarian point of view, the UN in its all-out effort to stop the violence and limit the spread of the coronavirus.
He announced that the EU also stands ready to support the Syrian people in coping with the consequences of the coronavirus and that it is already working with international partners, UN agencies and non-governmental organisations to scale up its response to the pandemic. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)