An aerial picture shows a makeshift oil refining installation near the city of al-Bab in the north of the Aleppo province, Syria on March 28, 2022. (RAMI AL SAYED / AFP)
DAMASCUS/UNITED NATIONS – Syria is estimated to have lost over $100 billion in the oil and gas sectors due to the theft and unlawful trafficking by the United States, the Syrian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Monday.
The Syrian Foreign Ministry pointed out the repercussions and negative impact of the US presence in Syria and its control over the natural resources and energy fields in the country, which is depriving the Syrian people of investing in their resources "at a time when Syria has already been suffering from an acute shortage in energy materials"
The practices of the US forces, whose presence in Syria is illegal, along with the theft and unlawful trafficking of Syrian oil by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces have so far caused direct and indirect losses to Syria's oil and gas sectors at about $107.1 billion, said the ministry.
The ministry said the Syrian government holds its right, in accordance with the UN Charter, to take all legal measures to ask for compensation for the losses.
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Meanwhile, the ministry pointed out the repercussions and negative impact of the US presence in Syria and its control over the natural resources and energy fields in the country, which is depriving the Syrian people of investing in their resources "at a time when Syria has already been suffering from an acute shortage in energy materials."
It called on the UN and UN Security Council to develop a "serious approach to deal with the situation in Syria."
Civilians return to the city after fighting subsideds in Hassakeh, Syria, Jan 30, 2022. (BADERKHAN AHMAD / AP)
It said the UN resolutions on Syria could not be implemented with the ongoing occupation of Syria's oil and gas fields by the US forces and also the economic sanctions imposed by the US and its Western allies.
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UN special envoy for Syria Geir O. Pedersen voiced concern that an escalatory cycle could see events further unravel, with civilians continuing to pay an already immense cost, and international peace and security being put at risk
Also on Monday, UN special envoy for Syria Geir O. Pedersen warned of troubling signs of recent military escalation in Syria, while calling for a comprehensive manner to address situation in the country.
In a briefing to the UN Security Council, Pedersen said he was worried that in recent months there have been troubling signs of military escalation, including an increase in strikes attributed to a wide range of actors this last month alone.
The envoy voiced concern that an escalatory cycle could see events further unravel, with civilians continuing to pay an already immense cost, and international peace and security being put at risk.
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He hoped that continued diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the situation can unite to restore the calm across Syria, toward a nationwide ceasefire.
"The degree of fragmentation in Syria, the region and internationally – and deficits of trust and will – are preventing us from doing what needs to be done – addressing this conflict in a comprehensive manner, with serious compromise and investment, involving all players," Pedersen said.
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This is the only way to avoid another dangerous collapse, to reunite and repair a fragmented country and people, to genuinely restore Syria's sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity, and to end the displacement crisis and to allow the Syrian people to chart their own future, he noted.