Humanitarian issues are used for political bargaining: Syria’s AANES
RAQQA, Syria (North Press) – It seems that humanitarian issues also ended up within the political bazaar; the closure of the Tel Kocher (al-Yaroubiyah) crossing came in implementation of the agendas serving the Syrian and Turkish governments under the auspices of Russia, which used its veto to close it, an official in the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria said on Sunday.
In July, the UN Security Council issued a decision to extend the mechanism for entering humanitarian aid through the Bab al-Hawa border crossing with Turkey to northwest Syria only, in two phases, each lasting six months, without adding any other crossings.
The ongoing closure of al-Yaroubiyah crossing, and the adoption of the United Nations agencies, through their official offices in Damascus and Qamishli, of the policy and whims of the Syrian government, “increases human suffering day after day,” Sheikhmous Ahmed, head of the Office of Displaced Persons and Refugees, told North Press.
The two offices of the UN should carefully consider the consequences of its decisions on human rights, especially in terms of where and how to provide assistance, Ahmed added.
These offices “have put these principles and guidelines on the shelf far from being applied,” Ahmed stressed.
Al-Yaroubiyah crossing is the main artery for the areas of northeastern Syria, and with the increase in the Turkish bombing and the affiliated factions of the area, the number of displaced people has increased steadily.
In light of the spread of the coronavirus, the continued closure of the crossing exacerbates the humanitarian situation. The region witnesses an increase in infections and a shortage of medicines, which constitutes a heavy burden on the Autonomous Administration, according to the head of the Office of Displaced and Refugee Affairs.