July 14, 2022
Syria
The decision of the United Nations Security Council to renew the cross-border aid mechanism from Turkey to Syria is absolutely vital and essential for people in northwest Syria. However, doing so for six months only is insufficient and concerning. A six-month extension does not provide sufficient visibility on the kind of support that people in northwest Syria can expect and that they desperately need.
Francisco Otero y Villar, MSF Head of Mission for Syria
Today, the Bab Al-Hawa crossing on the Syria-Turkey border is the only approved humanitarian crossing point into northwest Syria. On July 8, 2022, Russia vetoed a draft resolution that would have extended cross-border aid for another year. On July 12, after several rounds of negotiations, the Security Council renewed the resolution for six months only, instead of 12 months as originally proposed, providing much-needed respite but no security beyond this short timeframe. Any further extension will depend on a new Security Council vote in January 2023.
The newly adopted resolution (2642) will expire in the dead of winter, when the harsh weather exacerbates existing humanitarian needs. Every winter, freezing temperatures, floods and snowstorms take a heavy toll on the health and lives of Syrians. Cross-border aid will remain as vital then as it is now. There is no viable alternative
Francisco Otero y Villar
