After a Russian veto, the UN Security Council on Tuesday (July 11th) failed to extend the mechanism for cross-border humanitarian aid to Syria, interrupting a vital passageway for millions of inhabitants of rebel areas of the country. .
The fifteen members of the Council had been trying for days to find a compromise to extend this mechanism which allows food, water or medicine to people in northwestern Syria.
Faced with even greater needs since the February earthquakes, the UN, humanitarian workers and a majority of Council members called for an extension of at least one year to allow, in particular, better organization of aid.
Russian veto
The initial text, drafted by Switzerland and Brazil, responsible for this file, thus proposed this extension of twelve months. Faced with opposition from Russia, which insisted on just six months as was the case now, a nine-month compromise was put to the vote on Tuesday. But Russia vetoed this resolution which received thirteen votes in favor and one abstention (China).
The Council also rejected Tuesday by two votes for, three against and ten abstentions, a competing text presented by Russia which proposed a six-month extension, but which denounced the Western sanctions imposed on Syria.
“It is a sad moment for this Council, except for one country”launched the American ambassador after the Russian veto, denouncing a “act of absolute cruelty”.
“This calendar would have made it possible to get through the harsh winter months”deplored, for his part, the Swiss ambassador Pascale Baeriswyl, saying ” very disapointed “. “We will not let this veto put an end to our efforts to find a solution”she assured, specifying that her Brazilian counterpart and she were going “get back to work immediately”.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is ” disappointed “ by this failure and called “all members of the Security Council to redouble their efforts to support the continued distribution of cross-border aid”said his spokesman, Stéphane Dujarric, adding that the UN had prepositioned aid inside the country in the event of a shutdown.
Interests of the Syrian people
The Russian ambassador, Vassili Nebenzia, has accused Westerners of “provocation to push Russia to use its veto”estimating that the mechanism “does not at all take into account the interests of the Syrian people”.
The World App
The Morning of the World
Every morning, find our selection of 20 articles not to be missed
Download the app
“Humanitarian aid should be based on needs, not politics”lambasted Floriane Borel, of Human Rights Watch, denouncing the “cynical veto” of Russia. the UN “should explore immediately to[autres] means (…) to ensure that Syrians receive enough food, medicine and [d’]other aid they desperately need without having to beg Russia or the Syrian president for access”she added.
The mechanism created in 2014 allows the UN to deliver humanitarian aid to the populations of the rebel areas in northwestern Syria, without authorization from the Syrian government, which regularly denounces a violation of its sovereignty.
Initially, it provided for four crossing points, but after years of pressure, in particular from Moscow, an ally of the Syrian regime, only the Bab Al-Hawa post had remained operational, and its authorization had been reduced to six months renewable, complicating the planning of humanitarian aid.
Two other operational crossing points
Despite the expiration of the UN mechanism, at least temporarily, two other crossing points are operational, although they are largely less used than Bab Al-Hawa. The Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad, had indeed directly authorized their opening after the earthquakes of February, but this authorization expires in mid-August.
“I have great hope that they will continue to be renewed, I see no reason why not”commented last week the head of the UN for humanitarian affairs, Martin Griffiths, who had met President Assad in Damascus at the end of June.
Since the February 6 earthquakes, more than 3,700 UN aid trucks have passed through the three crossings, according to the UN. But the vast majority passed through Bab Al-Hawa, including 79 on Monday.
UN says four million people in northwestern Syria, mostly women and children, need humanitarian assistance to survive after years of conflict, economic shocks, disease outbreaks and poverty growing aggravated by devastating earthquakes. And the mechanism that expired on Monday was providing aid to 2.7 million people every month.