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S/2018/243 18-04045 13/21 Visas and registrations 38. A total of 80 new United Nations visa requests were submitted to the Government in February. Of those, 50 were approved, 28 remain pending and 2 were rejected. Of the 80 new visa applications submitted in December 2017 and January 2018, 56 were approved by February, while 24 remain pending. A total of 55 United Nations visa renewal requests were submitted in February, of which 35 were approved and 20 remain pending. An additional 30 requests for visa renewals submitted in January were approved in February. For some United Nations entities in the Syrian Arab Republic, a significant number of staff are not in place or cannot be replaced owing to the non-issuance of visas for months, formal requests notwithstanding. 39. A total of 23 international non-governmental organizations are registered with the Government to operate in the country. Safety and security of humanitarian personnel and premises 40. Programmes of the agencies, funds and programmes of the United Nations system are implemented in areas affected by frequent clashes among belligerents, air strikes, regular exchange of indirect artillery fire and asymmetric attacks. In addition, and as result of activities relating to the armed conflict, some areas of operation are highly contaminated with explosive hazards that pose an elevated risk to the implementation of United Nations activities in those areas. On 12 February, a mortar shell landed on the UNRWA Zahirah distribution centre in Damascus. Minor damage was reported. 41. Since the beginning of the conflict, dozens of humanitarian workers have been killed, including 22 staff members of the United Nations or agencies of the United Nations system, of whom 18 were UNRWA staff members, 66 staff members and volunteers of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent and 8 staff members and volunteers of the Palestine Red Crescent Society. Many staff members of international and national non-governmental organizations are also reported to have been killed. 42. A total of 27 staff members of agencies and programmes of the United Nations system (1 staff member of the United Nations Development Programme and 26 UNRWA staff members) are detained or missing. III. Observations 43. I welcome the adoption of resolution 2401 (2018). It is true that in some areas the conflict has diminished in intensity, yet there has been no cessation of hostilities. In eastern Ghutah in particular, air strikes, shelling and ground offensives have intensified since the adoption of the resolution and claimed many hundreds of civilian lives. 44. Military escalation and the resulting increased civilian death and destruction across the Syrian Arab Republic after months of diplomatic engagement by Member States and parties to the conflict is an alarming development. It is civilians who are suffering the devastating and long-lasting consequences. I remind all parties of their obligations and responsibilities under international humanitarian and human rights law. They must respect civilians and civilian infrastructure at all times and take constant care to spare them from harm. They must also evacuate, care for and protect the wounded and sick and respect and protect medical personnel and facilities. Effort