Cancer patients referral from northern Syria to Türkiye to resume on July 26: UN

By Betul Yuruk

UNITED NATIONS (AA) - The UN said Tuesday the cross-border referral of new cancer patients from northwest Syria to Türkiye through the Bab Al-Hawa crossing will resume July 26.

''Radiography equipment will be installed in two hospitals in northern Aleppo,'', deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq told reporters.

''Our partners are working to ensure that there is long-term capacity to operate these machines. Prior to this, there was no radiotherapy equipment in northwest Syria.''

There are at least 4,300 active cancer cases in northwest Syria, according to the UN.

Following a temporary disruption by earthquakes in February, the cross-border referral system through Bab Al-Hawa had resumed June 5 but was again disrupted when the UN had to end aid operations through the border crossing after the Security Council failed to adopt either of two rival resolutions to extend cross-border aid delivery from Türkiye into northern Syria.

The Syrian government then granted permission to the UN on July 13 to use the Bab al-Hawa border crossing for aid delivery after the Security Council failed to extend the humanitarian mechanism.