Al-Assad opens 2 crossings for UN aid to opposition-held areas
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has agreed to allow United Nations aid deliveries to opposition-held areas in northwest Syria through two border crossings with Turkey for three months, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Monday.
Guterres welcomed, in a press release, the presidential decision of opening Bab al-Salameh and al-Rai border crossings in the north of Aleppo Governorate for humanitarian aid.
At dawn on Feb. 6, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit Syria and Turkey, killing thousands and injuring much more. The earthquake also caused immense destruction of buildings, trapping thousands under the rubble.
At least 1.414 deaths and 2.349 injuries have been confirmed in government-held areas, while 2.274 deaths and 12.400 injuries in northwest Syria. As for the areas of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), six deaths and 57 injuries were confirmed, according to statistics released by the authorities in the three regions.
“Opening these crossing points … will allow more aid to go in faster,” Guterres added.
In turn, Guterres’ spokesman Stéphane Dujarric told BBC Radio, that the UN will use the two crossings very soon.
“The only thing I want to assume is that people will put politics aside wherever they stand in this conflict,” Dujarric added.
On Feb. 13, The coalition of civil society organizations of North and East Syria dispatched a convoy loaded with relief aid for people in Syrian opposition-held areas after a week of waiting the approval of the authorities of the Syrian opposition.