Syria: Refugees International Welcomes Extension of Crucial Cross-Border Aid Despite Shortcomings

By Sahar Atrache | July 10, 2021

Please see below statement from Refugees International’s Senior Advocate for the Middle East Sahar Atrache:

“The United Nations Security Council extended the UN Cross-Border Resolution that allows UN agencies to continue the delivery of humanitarian assistance from Turkey into northwest Syria. The renewal of the resolution will help alleviate the growing suffering of people living in this region of the country.

While recognizing this significant diplomatic achievement, Refugees International remains concerned by the shortcomings of today’s vote. The Resolution failed to re-open Bab al-Salam and Yarubiya, two major and much-needed humanitarian crossings previously closed. We are also troubled by the ambiguity surrounding the Resolution’s lifespan and the question of a sixth month renewal.

The UN cross-border aid mechanism is no longer a secure lifeline. Thus, going forward, the United States and other large donors must work with aid organizations and other humanitarian partners to find a more sustainable solution to meeting the needs of the people of northwest Syria. This will be no easy task. However, it will almost certainly require closer partnership and collaboration between international donors, relief agencies and Syrian civil society. Local aid groups will be at the heart of any successful effort to ensure that humanitarian aid can reach those in need should Russia take the unfortunate decision to close Bab al-Hawa in the future.”

For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact Aviva Shwayder at aviva@refugeesinternational.org.

PHOTO BANNER: Syrian families, riding on the back of trucks loaded with their belongings, flee from reported regime shelling in Hama and Idlib provinces on May 1, 2019. Photo Credit: AAREF WATAD/AFP via Getty Images.