UN reacted to Syria’s offer on taking control of the relief supply, tagging it as an unacceptable demand. Syria’s UN representative announced that the relief aid should arrive through the Bab al-Hawa crossing.
Members of the United Nations Security Council were unable to reach an agreement to keep the border crossing operational.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: President Tinubu: I Never Thought I’d Be President
Aid is needed by around 4.1 million people in NW Syria. Damascus’ resolve to let aid through Bab al-Hawa for six months was communicated to the UN by Ambassador Sabbagh.
Deliveries could restart with Syrian government assistance, but two conditions are unacceptable to UN OCHA.
As President al-Assad classifies opposition groups as terrorists, the Syrian government believes that the UN should not cooperate with ‘terrorist’ institutions.
According to the OCHA, Damascus desired that aid delivery in northwest Syria be overseen by the ICRC and SARC, which is neither compatible with UN independence nor realistic, given that they are both not present in the area.
It did, however, acknowledge that the Syrian government’s offer might serve as the foundation for the UN’s legal cross-border humanitarian operations at Bab al-Hawa.
Russia, a key supporter of Syria, blocked a nine-month renewal of the UN-brokered accord that allowed aid to pass through Bab al-Hawa.
Syria and Russia were both opposed to the UN assistance distribution mechanism, but Russia was unable to get enough backing for their planned six-month extension.
Russia was chastised by the United States, France, and the United Kingdom. Concerns have been expressed about the Syrian government’s offer, which might allow them to control assistance distribution and prevent it from reaching opposition-held areas.
UK Ambassador Barbara Woodward emphasised the critical importance of resuming aid to people in need and establishing certainty for the future.
“However, without UN oversight, control of this lifeline now rests with the person responsible for the agony of the Syrian people,” she said.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: President Tinubu Declares A State Of Emergency On Food Security
The importance of the Bab al-Hawa lifeline has grown since a devastating earthquake struck northwestern Syria in February, killing 4,500 people and displacing 50,000 people.
Despite the standoff over Bab al-Hawa, the UN can continue to use two assistance ports authorised with Syria’s permission after the earthquake until August 13.
