Title: UN Agency Criticizes Syrian Government’s Conditions on Aid Deliveries from Turkey
In a concerning development, the United Nations agency responsible for overseeing humanitarian aid has condemned the Syrian government’s conditions on aid deliveries from Turkey as “unacceptable.” The future delivery of crucial aid across Syria’s northern border is now uncertain, as the UN Security Council failed to reach an agreement on proposals to extend the mandate for such deliveries.
Syria’s ambassador to the United Nations recently granted voluntary permission for the UN to utilize the Bab al Hawa border crossing for six months, but with certain conditions. Unfortunately, the UN has deemed two of these conditions as “unacceptable.” One of the contentious conditions involves a prohibition on communicating with groups labeled as “terrorist” by the Syrian government, which severely hampers the ability to carry out safe and unimpeded humanitarian operations.
Additionally, the Syrian government stipulated that aid deliveries must be overseen by the Red Cross or Red Crescent, which poses a practical challenge as these esteemed organizations are not currently present in northwest Syria. The government’s request for aid deliveries to be carried out in “full cooperation and coordination” with Damascus has raised concerns about the independence and impartiality of the UN’s humanitarian operations, requiring further review.
The delivery of aid to the rebel-held enclave in northwest Syria has long been a contentious issue throughout the country’s devastating civil war. Security Council member Russia, alongside the Syrian government, supports the centralization of all aid deliveries through Damascus. However, opponents of President Bashar al-Assad, as well as humanitarian organizations, fear that this approach may lead to aid diversion.
Emma Beals, a non-resident fellow at the Middle East Institute, has warned of the grave risks faced by people living in northwest Syria if humanitarian assistance remains dependent on permission from Damascus. The Security Council initially authorized aid deliveries from various crossing points in 2014, but Russia has consistently pushed for reductions over the years.
It is worth noting that aid convoys were previously blocked from entering Idlib by the militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which accused the Assad regime of attempting to exploit the aid intended for earthquake victims. However, in a potentially strategic move, the group allowed a shipment of aid to cross from a government-controlled area in Aleppo into Idlib in June, likely as an attempt to persuade Russia to extend aid deliveries through the Bab al Hawa border crossing.
The current impasse between the Syrian government and the UN, coupled with the Security Council’s failure to agree on extending the mandate for aid deliveries, has added further uncertainty and concern regarding the availability of humanitarian assistance to the vulnerable population of northwest Syria. The issue remains a grave concern, as millions of innocent lives depend on this essential aid to survive the ongoing crisis.
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