Amnesty urges UN to condemn Russia’s veto against cross-border aid to Syria
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The United Nations (UN) member states should unequivocally condemn Russia’s abuse of its veto power and affirm the legality, impartiality, neutrality, and independence of the cross-border aid mechanism for northwest Syria, said Amnesty International on Wednesday, ahead of a General Assembly meeting on Thursday to discuss Russia’s veto.
“Since 2019, Russia has abused its veto power to whittle down the cross-border mechanism resolution’s scope from four border crossings to only one – and now none. This latest Russian veto means that the UN can no longer deliver aid and essential services to four million people living in north-west Syria,” said Sherine Tadros, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director of Advocacy and Representative to the UN.
On July 11, Russia vetoed a UN Security Council compromise resolution that would have extended aid deliveries through the Bab al-Hawa border crossing, which connects Turkey and opposition-held northwest Syria, for nine months.
“UN member states should publicly call out Russia’s use of its veto power by spelling out the real-life consequences of such political games,” Tadros added.
In July 2014, the UN Security Council (UNSC) adopted Resolution 2165 which authorized the UN to deliver cross-border humanitarian aid to Syria through four border crossings al-Ramtha crossing with Jordan, Bab al-Salameh and Bab al-Hawa with Turkey, and al-Ya’rubiyah/Tel Kocher with Iraq, without the consent of the Syrian government.
In January 2020, UN Res. 2504 was adopted which reduced the number of border crossings to only Bab al-Salameh and Bab al-Hawa for six months open to renewal in a special meeting by the UNSC.
The closure of the al-Ya’rubiyah (Tel Kocher) border crossing is a blatant politicization of the humanitarian situation in northeast Syria, said Badran Chiya Kurd, co-chair of the Foreign Relations Department of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) on Jan. 6.
Despite successive calls by the AANES and operating organizations in the region for the urgent need to open the crossing, the Russian and Chinese vetoes were always there, keeping the community’s needs in limbo.