US Ambassador highlights al-Y’arubiyah, Syrian refugees return in Brussels
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield highlighted on Monday several issues related to humanitarian aid mechanism and Syrian refugees return.
This came during Brussels VI Conference which was held on Monday in the Belgian capital, Brussels under the title “Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region”.
Thomas-Greenfield met in Brussels with representatives of Syrian civil society and humanitarian organizations who operate inside Syria or assist Syrian refugees and the communities hosting them.
Scores of civil and human rights organizations attended the conference, which will be concluded on Tuesday.
Bassam al-Ahmad, the STJ Executive Director, called on Thomas-Greenfield for extra efforts regarding opening al-Ya’rubiyah (Tel Kocher) border crossing, between Syria’s northeast and Iraq, for humanitarian aid.
Al-Ahmad called for not depriving any Syrian area of the UN humanitarian aid in light of the dire economic conditions the country undergoes.
Thomas-Greenfield reaffirmed the US commitment to expanding humanitarian aid to the Syrian people, through continuing the UN-facilitated cross-border mechanism.
In July the mandate for the cross-border mechanism will be renewed.
“This July, we will urge the UN Security Council to expand access to meet the soaring needs of millions of Syrians who have already suffered enough,” she said.
In July 2020, the al-Ya’rubiyah (Tel Kocher) crossing was closed to UN humanitarian access to north and east Syria due to the veto of Russia and China, which exacerbated the challenges facing the region, according to civil organizations.
Despite calls by organizations and member states of the UN for re-authorization, the repeated Russian-Chinese veto led to rejection or amendment of the proposal, sometimes even before voting.
The closure of the crossing deprived residents of Syria’s northeast of aid estimated at $26.8 million, due to the cessation of support for many organizations operating in the region.
Speaking of the voluntary return of Syrian refugees Thomas-Greenfield said, “After more than a decade of conflict, peace and safety is not yet in sight.”
“We must reaffirm our commitment to UNHCR principles and that refugee returns to Syria must be voluntary, and they must be safe and dignified,” she added.