The 15 members of the UN Security Council agreed on Monday to extend the mandate for international aid deliveries to Syria through the Turkish-Syrian border for another six months. Too short for serious aid, the Western states said, which had therefore demanded a one-year extension. However, Russia had vetoed this because, according to diplomats in New York, it wanted a shorter duration.
The agreement now provides for an extension in January 2023 for another six months – the precondition for this is the adoption of a new resolution, the diplomats added.
Bottleneck for aid to Syria
Aid deliveries will be handled through the Turkish-Syrian border post in Bab al-Hawa. This is the only route through which UN aid can be delivered to the Syrian people without passing through areas controlled by Syrian government forces.
The system, on which more than two million people depend, has been in existence since 2014 and expired on Sunday. With the agreement now reached, the life-saving relief supplies can be delivered for the time being.
Moscow considers these deliveries a violation of the sovereignty of its ally Syria. Russia intervened militarily in the Syrian war in 2015. This turned the tide in favor of Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad, whose forces were able to recapture some areas.
Source: Krone
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