Government extends aid deliveries to opposition-held areas for 3 months
DAMASCUS, Syria (North press) – The Syrian government allowed the United Nations on Tuesday to bring humanitarian aid from Turkey via two border crossings to areas under the control of Turkish-backed armed opposition factions in northwest Syria for a period of three months, according to a spokeswoman for the United Nations.
Eri Kaneko, spokeswoman for the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said, “We greatly welcome the extension of permission by the government of Syria to utilize the Bab Al Salam and Al Ra’ee border crossings until November 13.”
Meanwhile, Syria’s permanent representative to the UN, Bassam Sabbagh, said, “The decision comes in light of Syria’s keenness on boosting stability, improving the humanitarian and livelihood situation of the Syrians and facilitating the delivery of aid to people in need.”
These two crossings are the only gateway for aid to enter northwest Syria, after the UN Security Council failed last month to renew the mechanism for delivering aid through the Bab al-Hawa border crossing to supply nearly 4 millions of people in northwest Syria with vital aid.
On July 11, Russia vetoed a UN Security Council resolution to extend cross-border aid deliveries to northwest Syria for nine months.