NEW YORK (US) – The UN Security Council on Saturday gave approval for delivery of aid to Syria through one border check post in Turkey. This comes a day after its authorisation for the six-year-long humanitarian operation ended.
The UN termed the delivery of aid via Turkey as a “lifeline” for Syrians in the country’s northwest. The 15-member council had been facing a deadlock as most of its members are pitted against Syrian allies Russia and China. The two countries abstained from the council’s fifth vote on Saturday.
Russia and China wanted to reduce the approved Turkey border crossings to one, saying the northwest region can be accessed from within the country.
German UN Ambassador Christoph Heusgen told his Chinese and Russian counterparts to report back to their capitals that he had asked: “How those people who gave the instructions to cut off the aid of 500,000 children … are ready to look into the mirror tomorrow?”
Members of the Security Council are divided on whether to renew authorisation for six months or one year. Saturday’s resolution, which was drafted by Germany and Belgium, allows just one crossing for one year.
“Russia is consistently in favor of humanitarian deliveries to Syria with full respect of the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and with coordination of its legal government. This issue should not be politicised,” deputy Russian UN envoy Dmitry Polyanskiy said.
As many as 12 members voted in favour while the Dominican Republic also abstained from voting.
Acting British UN Ambassador Jonathan Allen said the loss of aid access through Bab al-Salaam border crossing would deprive “1.3 million people in northwest Syria of cross-border humanitarian assistance that they rely on.”
In a joint statement, Germany and Belgium said: “One border crossing is not enough, but no border crossings would have left the fate of an entire region in question.”
(Photos syndicated via Reuters)
This story has been edited by BH staff and is published from a syndicated field