Millions of Syrians in rebel-held areas in the northwest of the country could lose access to crucial aid within weeks if the UN does not extend the authorization for cross-border aid, which expires this on Sunday, a rebel official said.
The delivery of UN aid via the Bab al-Hawa crossing point, on the Syrian-Turkish border, was to stop at midnight on Sunday, after Russia vetoed a draft resolution on Friday extending one year the authorization of cross-border aid without the approval of the power in Damascus. The 10 non-permanent members of the Security Council are expected to offer a nine-month extension to break the deadlock, diplomats say, but no deal was reached on Sunday morning.
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4600 trucks
“Until now, we have no information on the mechanism that will be put in place in the coming period.Mazen Allouche, a rebel official at the Bab al-Hawa crossing, said on Sunday. “UN partner humanitarian groups, which operate in liberated areas (from regime control), have an emergency response planin case the UN authorization is not extended, he added. But, according to him, the available stocks will not be enough to “more than a month“.
In force since 2014, the cross-border system helps more than 2.4 million people in areas of Idleb province and the north of the neighboring province of Aleppo under the control of jihadist and rebel groups. More than 4,600 aid trucks carrying mainly food have passed through the Bab al-Hawa crossing this year, according to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
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On Sunday, the crossing – the only one the UN is authorized to use and which bypasses regime-controlled areas – was closed for the second consecutive day due to Eid al-Adha, the major Muslim holiday in sacrifice. Its reopening is scheduled for Wednesday.
According to Mazen Allouche, civilians and non-UN relief convoys, including those sent by Turkish aid groups, would still be allowed to cross the crossing when it reopens. “If aid deliveries are diverted to (areas controlled by) the regime, we will effectively be under siegeAbu Mohmmad, a 45-year-old displaced person living in a camp in northern Idlib, told AFP. “They want to starve us and bring us to our knees“, lamented this father of four children.