US Envoy To UN Says Security Council Must Vote For Cross-Border Aid Renewal In Syria

UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th June, 2021) The UN Security Council has an obligation to vote to support the renewal of the cross-border humanitarian aid delivery mechanism in northwestern Syria next month, US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said on Wednesday.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have an obligation to extend the mandate. Colleagues, we must vote for renewal," Thomas-Greenfield said at a UN Security Council meeting on the humanitarian situation in Syria.

The Security Council is set to vote on July 11 on a resolution to extend the aid delivery mechanism through the Bab Al-Hawa crossing from Turkey for another year.

Authorized by the council in 2014, the mechanism initially allowed the United Nations and humanitarian partners to bring aid to Syria through four border crossings from Turkey, Iraq and Jordan without prior consent from Damascus.

In January 2020, a resolution adopted by the council reduced the number of crossing points from four to two from Turkey for six months. Last July, the Security Council adopted another resolution that authorized aid deliveries using one crossing point - Bab Al-Hawa from Turkey for a year.

Both changes were taken following Russia's and China's opposition to reauthorizing the mechanism as it was. The two permanent members of the Security Council used their veto power to block attempts by other member states to keep the crossings open.

Russia had argued humanitarian aid could be delivered using cross-lines from within Syria and previously indicated that it would advocate for the closing of the last remaining crossing point in July.