QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Since 2011, the UN has overseen the process of sending between two and four billion US dollars as humanitarian aid to Syria through agencies and non-governmental organizations.
However, since 2018, the case has become a political bargaining between Russia and the US.
Moscow, after Syrian government forces have taken over more than 70% of the country, said that Damascus should get more humanitarian aid as it was stipulated in 2014 in conformity with the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 2165 and that aid be delivered to Damascus rather than the four other border crossings of Tel Kocher (al-Yaroubiya), Bab al-Salameh, al-Ramtha and Bab al-Hawa.
UN Res. 2165
On July 14, 2014, the UNSC unanimously adopted resolution 2165 authorizing the UN to deliver cross-border humanitarian aid owing to deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Syria.
The 15-member body decided that UN agencies and humanitarian partners could, without the consent of the Syrian government, use the border crossings at Bab al-Salameh, Bab al-Hawa, al-Yaroubiyah and al-Ramtha in addition to those already in use, “to ensure that assistance, including medical and surgical supplies, reached people in need throughout Syria through the most direct routes.”
The new mechanism, the Council decided, would be under the authority of the Secretary-General, and monitor, with the consent of neighbouring countries and notification by the United Nations to the Syrian authorities, the loading of all humanitarian relief consignments.
The resolution conditions that humanitarian aid is delivered on consent and appeal of the affected country based on preserving its unity and the integrity of its territories.
However, the international factors each interpreted the decision in a different way since the beginning; Russia has always said the UN mechanism to deliver aid was a temporary one for it was breaching the international law according to the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 46/128 adopted in 1991 which propelled the basic pillars of the humanitarian system marking the international community’s collective commitment to helping the world’s most vulnerable people when they need it most.
However, UN aid served as main revenue for the Syrian economy whether in areas under the Syrian government forces or those under the opposition.
Russia alludes to annul mechanism
Late in July, the Russian Federation indicated its will to annul the resolution regarding humanitarian aid delivery via Syrian border a week after the UNSC had approved the mechanism.
On July 12, the UNSC agreed to extend the delivery mechanism of humanitarian aid to Syrian border crossing of Bab al-Hawa for another six month.
The decision was approved by 12 countries, the United States, Great Britain and France abstained.
The Russian allusion came by Yuri Ushakov, advisor to the President of Russia on foreign policy issues, in a statement made to state-run Novosti news agency.
“We believe that the cross-border mechanism is a temporary and emergency measure, which is to be ended as violating international humanitarian law and, what is very important, Syria’s sovereignty,” Ushakov said describing the support given by Russian Federation of the decision of the UNSC to extend the mechanism for a six-month period as a “compromise.”
Ushakov cited his country’s demand to end the work of the mechanism as “a breach of the international law and most importantly in breaches the sovereignty of Syria.”
The Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry accused Western countries of “politicizing” the issue of delivering humanitarian aid to Syria.
However, according to the United States, the EU and the United Nations the Syrian government is unable or unwilling to deliver on its humanitarian pledges towards the Syrian people by ignoring UN relief and delaying it, and hence they cannot put north Syria under the mercy of Damascus.
Phases of extension
The process allowing humanitarian aid into Syria through the four border crossings continued up to 2020. Over the six years from 2014 up to 2019, the mechanism was extended times and again based on the UN resolutions 2191 in 2014, 2258 and 2332 in 2016, 2393 in 2017, and 2449 in 2018.
Early in 2020, Russia and China vetoed a resolution to extend the mechanism according to all aforementioned resolutions.
On January 2020, UN Res. 2504 was adopted which reduced the number of border crossings to only Bab al-Salameh and Bab al-Hawa for a period of six months open to renewal in a special meeting by the UNSC.
The closure of al-Ramtha crossing with Jordan was not effective. Humanitarian aid was very little via the border crossing in question.
However, the closure of Tel Kocher (al-Ya’roubiyah) border crossing on the Syrian-Iraqi border was effective, as 40% of medical and hygiene supplies, in addition to water and sanitation were entering northeast Syria through the crossing.
One crossing
In July 2020, Russia vetoed a draft resolution authorizing the entry of humanitarian aid from Bab al-Hawa and Bab al-Salameh hereby Res. 2533 was adopted whose third article situated that the UN’s cross-border operation for Syria is authorized for 12 months through the Bab al-Hawa crossing from Turkey to Syria except for al-Ramtha, Tel Kocher and Bab al-Salameh.
On July 9, 2021, the UNSC adopted a new resolution regarding Syria. UN Res. 2585 authorized the mandate given to entry of humanitarian aid for a six month period open to another six months extension.
The resolution allowed UN agencies to continue to coordinate and deliver aid cross-border from Turkey to northwestern Syria without Syrian government consent.
On January 21, 2022, the United Nations announced in a statement allowing the humanitarian aid into Syria without the consent of the Syrian government remains an important issue to help Syrians as the mechanism was extended without voting by the Security Council members.
When the set date expired on July 10, the UN mandate came to an end before the UNSC members states reached a new mechanism to extend the mechanism for another 12 months amid US and Western insistence.
Russia adamantly insisted on six month only subject to renewal. When that mandate came to an end, the UNSC 15 members reached another six-month period.
According the agreement, humanitarian aid is allowed to Syria only through the Bab al-Hawa border crossing without passing through areas under the control of the Syrian government forces.
The agreement sets December 10 for delivering a special report to the UN Secretary-General on the humanitarian needs in Syria. It has to issues a report every two months on the cross-border mechanism.