AANES urges to reopen border crossing for urgent aid amid crisis
RAQQA, Syria (North Press) – A camp affairs official in northeastern Syria said on Thursday that the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) urgently requires direct humanitarian aid, as the region struggles to support a large influx of displaced persons.
Sheikhmous Ahmad, head of IDPs and Refugees Affairs Office of the AANES, stated that Northeast Syria needs border crossings to facilitate direct aid delivery.
Since 2020, a Russian veto in the U.N. Security Council has blocked the entry of humanitarian aid to areas run by the AANES through the al-Ya’rubiyah (Tel Kocher) border crossing.
Ahmad added that the AANES expressed its willingness to open crossings with all parties to enable humanitarian support for those affected by natural disasters as well as for the displaced populations residing in camps.
The AANES-run areas include dozens of official and informal camps that shelter thousands of displaced people from Syria and individuals who have fled the war in Lebanon.
Ahmad warned of an impending humanitarian disaster due to the prolonged closure of the crossing, which is preventing essential aid from reaching the displaced, many of whom are enduring severe humanitarian and economic challenges with dwindling resources.
Ahmad stressed the need for the U.N. Security Council and the United Nations to reopen the al-Ya’rubiyah crossing, allowing international organizations to coordinate directly with the AANES so that aid can reach the region in the same manner it does in other areas.