Note to correspondents – in response to questions on the humanitarian truce announced by forces in northeast Syria

We welcome the statement by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on 24 March expressing support for the Secretary-General's appeal for an immediate global ceasefire to facilitate the global response to COVID-19, and announcing the SDF’s commitment to avoid engaging in military action. The Secretary-General calls on other parties to the Syrian conflict to support his appeal.

The UN, as Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen announced on Tuesday, is calling for a complete and immediate nationwide ceasefire throughout Syria, in line with resolution 2254, to enable an all-out effort to suppress COVID-19. To implement that ceasefire, the Special Envoy has emphasized his readiness to work with all relevant players on the ground, as well as with key countries who can support a scaling-up of action to respond to COVID-19 and ensure that the ceasefire holds.