Ms Anne O'Mahony:

I thank committee members for inviting us to brief them on the situation in Syria. I will begin by quoting Navi Pillay who said, "The killers, destroyers and torturers in Syria have been empowered and emboldened by international paralysis." As the Chairman said, we were here one year ago and the situation has deteriorated considerably since. There are now over 3 million refugees from Syria who have fled to neighbouring countries, while almost 7 million people have been displaced within Syria. Of the 3 million who have become refugees, four out of every five are women and children. These numbers hide the reality of the enormous human tragedy which has unfolded in the past four years. We hear of untold violence and continuous suffering, so much so that it almost numbs our sensibilities and we do not really hear it anymore.

We are appearing before the committee not just to brief members on our programmes but also to request that Ireland use its significant influence to bring urgent diplomatic and political pressure to bear in dealing with the situation in Syria. We are also meeting the committee days before budget 2015 is announced. I thank the committee for its support for and scrutiny of the Irish Aid budget which has enabled Concern to do the kind of work I will describe. We work in an increasingly fraught environment, with simultaneous emergencies and restrictions on the work of humanitarian agencies. Political leadership which supports overseas aid and respects the international commitments we have made, particularly our commitment to spend 0.7% of GDP on overseas aid, is crucial. Budget 2015 will be the first budget in many years when we can demonstrate our genuine intention to get back on track towards the 0.7% target. I urge the committee to continue in its efforts to protect and promote Ireland's development and humanitarian work.

Concern is working in Syria, Lebanon and Turkey in response to the Syrian crisis, providing shelter, non-food items, water, sanitation and hygiene support, as well as education services and protection for those affected by the conflict. The situation has become increasingly complex with the proliferation of armed groups, the rise of ISIS and military intervention by the western coalition in Syria and Iraq, with a subsequent threat to the humanitarian space. It is not possible to overstate the level of threat in the region and how it affects our decisions on a daily basis. The humanitarian needs are, however, increasing owing to the escalating military operations, but the level of funding is actually falling. The 2014 appeal for Syria is only 46% funded. Winter is approaching and vulnerable individuals will struggle in the freezing conditions. Shelter is inadequate and families who once lived in three bedroom, semi-detached houses in suburban Damascus will soon be struggling to survive under plastic sheeting in sub-zero temperatures. The Chairman mentioned that the committee had met some families on its visit to Jordan. I met families last year in Lebanon who had to get up every morning to shake the snow off the plastic roofs of their accommodation. I had many layers of clothing on me, yet I was shivering. These people are living under plastic, having come from backgrounds similar to our own. They once had good housing and living conditions, but they are now living in dire poverty. They are facing into another winter in the same situation and on it goes.

The neighbouring countries of Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan have been really generous in accepting Syrian refugees. However, they are beginning to buckle under the immense pressure. Lebanon, for example, is one eighth of the size of Ireland. It is about the same size as counties Clare and Cork combined, but it is hosting over 1 million refugees. Ireland has a population of over 4.5 million; the population of Lebanon is similar. How would we respond if 1 million refugees arrived on our doorstep and started to use our facilities, including our health care, education and social welfare systems? That would place an enormous burden on us, but we are much better off than a country like Lebanon.

As a result of the disproportionate burden being placed on neighbouring countries due to the Syrian conflict, tensions are increasing between Syrian refugees and host communities. Recently these tensions have escalated and reports of attacks on Syrian refugees, forced evictions, raids and the destruction of refugee property are increasing. Governments are becoming more restrictive of refugee movements, with new policies aimed at defining more strictly who qualifies as a refugee and tightening the entry criteria for Syrians. Reports from our country offices in Lebanon detail that the Lebanese border has been closed and while some better-off Syrians are being allowed access to transit points, poorer people are being stopped and refused access without humanitarian selection criteria being in place. As with all such situations, it is the poor who suffer the most. They are the ones with no voice and they are being blocked at every turn.

Ireland resettled 90 Syrian refugees in 2014, as well as initiating the Syrian humanitarian admissions programme. While both initiatives are welcome, these efforts pale in comparison to the scale and gravity of the displacement problem. The European Union has largely failed to take responsibility in shouldering its portion of the burden of the refugee crisis. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, António Guterres, has repeatedly urged EU member states to open their doors to Syrian refugees and noted in January this year that Turkey had received ten times the number of Syrian refugees received by all EU member states combined. That is a tribute to it and its openness and a poor reflection on us.

Women and girls, as in all of these situations, have been incapacitated disproportionately by the crisis in Syria. Approximately 27% of the female refugee population are under 18 years. Sexual violence and the harassment of Syrian women have become endemic, including the use by ISIS of sex slaves.

Early and forced marriage, harmful traditional practices, lack of access to educational opportunities, family separation and an inability to access basic social services are pervasive in the lives of Syrian women in the region.

The ability of the United Nations and aid agencies to protect the most vulnerable, namely, women, children, people with disabilities and the elderly, has been severely compromised. Post-traumatic stress disorder and a lack of psychosocial support are likely to affect an entire generation of Syrian children who will be responsible for rebuilding their country. The traumas they face will affect their abilities.

The UN independent international commission of inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic unequivocally stated influential states had turned away from the difficult task of finding a political solution. Some states continue to deliver shipments of arms, artillery and aircraft, or contribute logistical and strategic assistance to the Government of Syria. Other states, organisations and individuals support armed groups with weapons and funding. The weapons they transfer to the warring parties in Syria are used for war crimes, crimes against humanity and violations of human rights. Recent events in Lebanon, Turkey and Iraq where violence engaged in by ISIS and tensions between refugees and host communities have spiralled emphasises the urgency of finding a political settlement to the war. If the current situation continues, we face a regional collapse, with global consequences and an associated surge in conflict, displacement, poverty and devastation. It is vital that all avenues to reinstate the Geneva talks be explored. While Ireland was not a participant in the last round of talks, our political and diplomatic relations can and should be used to leverage support for the talks as a framework for finding a political solution.

A long-term strategy forms an essential part of any process which seeks to address the current situation. As the UN Security Council recognised in Resolutions 2139 and 2165, the protection of civilians is pivotal, while victims of violations deserve effective redress. We very much welcomed the statement by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy Charles Flanagan, at the 69th session of the UN General Assembly in September on the situation in Syria. The Minister noted Ireland’s support for a political solution based on the principles of the 2012 Geneva communiqué; called for the referral of the situation to the International Criminal Court; and urged all parties to comply with the Security Council resolutions which supported increased humanitarian access and relief operations in Syria. However, statements at the UN General Assembly are not enough. As we approach United Nations International Human Rights Day on 10 December, we have an opportunity to demonstrate Ireland’s strengthened leadership on the Syrian crisis. We urge that consideration be given to outlining the concrete diplomatic and political actions which Ireland will take to support a viable political solution to end the conflict. We set out a series of recommendations that would frame a renewed strategy and would welcome the thoughts of committee members on specific actions which could be taken.

We recommend promoting the mandate of the UN special envoy to Syria to reinstate the Geneva talks and support all efforts to bring influential parties to the table, including Iran and Israel which have been excluded so far. Efforts to find a durable political and diplomatic end to the conflict must be intensified as a matter of urgency and Ireland must use its voice to bolster this process. We also recommend supporting and sustaining funding for humanitarian operations through the Irish overseas development aid budget without jeopardising our progress on the millennium development goals; promoting increased access for people affected by the conflict in all areas; and facilitating the expansion of humanitarian relief operations by calling for adherence to the Security Council's resolutions.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade should use his position at the EU Foreign Affairs Council to call for Council conclusions on the protection of civilians in Syria. Such conclusions should be accompanied by a framework for responding to the upsurge in humanitarian needs resulting from military intervention and supported by a number of EU member states.

We call for support for countries in the region which disproportionately shoulder the burden of the Syrian crisis, particularly Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey, through increased humanitarian and political support.

Our membership of the UN Human Rights Council should be used to call for a special session on the Syrian conflict. Ireland must continue to condemn the war crimes perpetrated by all parties to the conflict, including murder, the targeting of civilians, torture, rape and sexual violence, the recruitment and use of children in hostilities and the use of illegal chemical weapons.

It is fairly common knowledge at this stage that Ireland hopes to win a seat on the UN Security Council by 2020. This is all part of the leadership Ireland can show in the international arena in dealing with this issue.