Al-Ya’rubiyah crossing to open for one day, OCHA

QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The al-Ya’rubiyah border crossing between Syria and Iraq will be opened for one day, on December 23, “for international staff to leave Syria,” the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) announced on Wednesday.

Following clashes erupted on December 15, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) border authorities closed the Semalka-Faysh Khabur border crossing until further notice for all actors, including NGOs, the OCHA said. 

“Following advocacy efforts by DG ECHO and other donors, the KRG agreed to open the al-Ya’rubiyah border crossing for one day (23 December) for international staff to leave Syria, while crossing back into Syria will not be possible,” it added.  

The OCHA pointed out that the closure of the crossing risks having “a significant impact on the humanitarian operation in northeast Syria assisting 1.8 million people.”

“DG ECHO will continue advocating for humanitarian exemptions to allow life-saving commodities to be sent to Syria and to facilitate the movement of international aid workers in and out of Syria,” it concluded.  

On December 16, the management of the Faysh Khabur border crossing in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq suspended the movement of transit and trade with the Autonomous Administration areas in northeast Syria. 

The suspension came following a stone throwing incident the day before, between protesters of northeast Syria and the security forces of the KRG on the bridge linking the two sides.