UN Secretary-General António Guterres today urged the Security Council to extend the cross-border aid mechanism for populations in northwest Syria, which Russia is pushing to end due to it not passing through Damascus. In 2014, the Security Council allowed humanitarian aid to cross into Syria through four border points but soon narrowed it down at the beginning of 2020, under pressure from Russia and China, to just the Bab al-Hawa crossing.
With the voting on the extension approaching, which expires on July 10, Russia is pressuring the Security Council to discontinue it, resulting in all aid crossings into Syria being closed except for those that go through Damascus.
Guterres stated during a monthly Security Council session: "Although increasing aid across front lines has been an important achievement, given the current circumstances, it is not at the necessary level to replace a major cross-border response."
The Secretary-General added: "I call on Security Council members to maintain the existing consensus on allowing cross-border operations by renewing resolution 2585 for an additional 12 months."
He emphasized that "there is a moral obligation to respond to the suffering and vulnerability of 4.1 million people in the region who need assistance and protection."
In areas outside the control of the regime in northern and northwestern Syria, more than four million people reside. Approximately three million of them, mostly displaced, live in areas controlled by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (formerly known as al-Nusra) in Idlib, while over one million are in areas controlled by Turkish forces and affiliated factions in northern Aleppo.
Last week, 32 NGOs called on the Security Council on Tuesday to extend the mechanism.
In a letter to the Security Council, the organizations, including International Rescue Committee, Norwegian Refugee Council, Oxfam, and Save the Children, warned that the scale of the crisis requires the cross-border aid mandate to be extended for at least 12 months, noting that "anything less would indicate to the Syrians that the Council is willing to accept unnecessary suffering and loss of life."
UN cross-border convoys provide food, medical supplies, and essential items without obtaining approval from Damascus. The Security Council renewed its operation in January for six months.
The organizations warned that if the cross-border aid mechanism is closed, "many families will be forced to choose between skipping meals or sending their children to work, many girls will be compelled into early marriage, and many children will have to leave their schools."
Syria has been experiencing a devastating conflict since mid-March 2011, resulting in the deaths of around half a million people, debilitating the economy, and displacing millions.
