Syria Extends UN Humanitarian Aid Access via Turkish Crossings

Syria has extended permission to the United Nations to deliver humanitarian aid from Turkey through two border crossings to areas beyond its control in the north for a period of three months, according to a spokesperson for the international organization on Tuesday.

The spokesperson for the United Nations' Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, stated in New York, "We strongly welcome Syria's extension of authorization to use the Bab al-Salam and al-Rai border crossings until November 13th."

A week after a devastating earthquake struck both Syria and neighboring Turkey on February 6th, leaving more than 55,000 people affected in the two countries, Damascus allowed the UN to use the crossings to deliver humanitarian assistance until May 13th.

This decision followed criticisms from local residents and relief organizations about the United Nations' slow delivery of aid through the Bab al-Hawa border crossing with Turkey to those in areas outside of Damascus' control.

Subsequently, Damascus renewed the permission for aid deliveries through the crossings for another three months, expiring on the 13th of the current month.

Syria's permanent representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Bassam Sabbagh, was quoted by the official Syrian news agency SANA as saying that the decision "comes from Syria's keenness to enhance stability (...) and to continue the efforts it is making to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to those in need in all Syrian areas."

Despite Syria's announcement of allowing aid through the Bab al-Hawa crossing, the United Nations criticized the Syrian conditions as unacceptable.

Damascus stipulated full coordination with the Syrian government and no communication with "terrorist organizations," referring to Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, the former jihadist faction associated with Al-Qaeda, which effectively controls the crossing.

On Tuesday, UN spokesperson Farhan Haq mentioned that the international body has been in touch with Damascus regarding ways to proceed with the Bab al-Hawa crossing.

He added in a statement to journalists, "We are working with the Syrian government to solve any problem. At this stage, we are primarily ready to resume aid delivery operations."

Currently, these crossings serve as the sole gateways for aid to enter northern and northwestern Syria. Last month, the United Nations Security Council failed to renew the mechanism for aid deliveries through the Bab al-Hawa crossing, which serves as the primary lifeline for supplying millions in northwestern Syria with vital aid.

Russia, one of Damascus' key supporters, exercised its veto power to prevent the renewal for nine months. However, during the same session, it presented an alternative proposal to extend it for six months, a suggestion rejected by the Council. The United Nations and humanitarian workers, along with the majority of Council members, insisted on the necessity of extending the mechanism for at least one more year to ensure better aid organization and delivery to the deserving recipients.

Established in 2014, the mechanism allowed the United Nations to provide humanitarian aid to people in areas outside the government's control in northwest Syria without obtaining Damascus' consent. The Syrian government views this mechanism as a violation of its sovereignty.

Approximately three million individuals, the majority of whom are displaced, inhabit areas controlled by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (formerly known as Al-Nusra) in Idlib Province, while 1.1 million reside in areas controlled by Ankara-backed Syrian factions in northern Aleppo.

The densely populated areas, including displaced persons' camps, require urgent aid after years of conflict, economic collapse, disease outbreaks, and increasing poverty exacerbated by the earthquake.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AFP