Humanitarian Aid Convoys At Risk of Losing Access to the Last Cross-Point Available
July 1, 2021-UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called for an extension of the measure that allows humanitarian aid to reach refugees living in Syria. UN Security Council’s Mandate 2533, which expires in July, allows for aid to cross the Turkey-Syria border to 13.4 million people dependent on the assistance.
As the Global Economic Report previously reported, the aid is a lifeline for refugees in northwest Syria. According to a UN press release, the decade of war in Syria has left 13.4 million dependent on aid relief. Now, the conditions for the Syrians are worse than any time since the war began, the UN reported late last week. Meanwhile, the situation in northwest Syria, where 70 percent of the people rely on humanitarian assistance to subsist, is the most fragile.
Security Council Meets July 10
The United Nations Security Council is scheduled to meet July 10 to decide whether to allow cross-border transport of humanitarian aide.
“I strongly appeal to the members of the Council to reach consensus on allowing cross-border operations as a virtual channel of support for another year,” Guterres said. “A failure to extend the Council’s authorization would have devastating consequences.”
Cross-Border Aid Flow
Ramesh Rajasingham, UN Acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, informed UN News that without cross-border operations, the 90% of individuals who require this assistance will “face a truly catastrophic situation”.
Rajasingham suggests the Council apply a 12-month extension to the cross-border authorization.
In past meetings, Russia has argued in favor of distributing aid through the Turkish border. Russia has veto power on the council. Furthermore, Russia has limited the humanitarian crossing points to just one place.
Russia: ‘No Military Solution‘
Vassily Nebenzia, Russia’s representative to the Security Council, put forward a lengthy statement on June 25 about the ongoing fighting and unstable conditions in Syria. Aside from the ongoing clashes, including recent airstrikes, up to 60 percent of the population faces a risk of famine.
According to Russia, the only solution is to support inter-Syrian political dialogue. Furthermore, he called on the Security Council to waive sanctions. “Respect for sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Syria remains imperative,” Nebenzia said.
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