Bab al-Hawa crossing suspended: Will Syrians receive timely aid?

In a significant development, the mechanism for aid deliveries from Turkey to opposition-held areas in northwest Syria through the Bab al-Hawa crossing has changed without Damascus' permission. This deliberate alteration marks a departure from the established procedure since 2014.

The change on the ground comes after the failure of the United Nations Security Council last Tuesday to agree on extending the mechanism. The deadlock resulted from Moscow, a Syrian ally, exercising its veto power to prevent the adoption of a resolution that would have extended the mechanism's operation.

However, the two conditions set by Damascus, which the United Nations deemed unacceptable, prompted the suspension of aid shipments. 

One of the conditions demanded that the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent supervise the aid distribution. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs considered this requirement incompatible with UN independence and impractical.

The other condition set by Syria was that the United Nations refrain from engaging with entities classified as terrorist organizations. 

Meanwhile, the United Nations and its partners emphasize non-interference and neutrality in delivering humanitarian aid.

As the United Nations continues to study Damascus' conditions, the use of the Bab al-Hawa crossing remains suspended until further notice. 

Will aid reach Syrians on time?