Rights group condemns suspension of UN aid delivery to northwestern Syria

By Ahmet Karaahmet and Mehmet Burak Karacaoglu

IDLIB, Syria (AA) – The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) on Monday condemned the halt of the UN cross-border aid delivery to northwestern Syria for the past seven weeks.

In a written statement, the rights group said that due to the suspension of UN aid, civilians residing in camps in northwestern Syria are facing difficult circumstances, as the supply of bread to numerous refugee camps has been cut off.

For seven weeks now, aid to northwestern Syria has been halted since the cross-border aid mechanism expired on July 10, and after Russia vetoed the resolution to extend aid crossings in the UN Security Council on July 11.

- Aid mechanism for Syria

Two draft resolutions to extend the mandate of the aid mechanism for delivering assistance through Türkiye via the Cilvegozu border crossing to northwestern Syria were not approved at the UN Security Council.

Under a resolution adopted in 2014, international aid was sent to people in northwestern Syria via Türkiye. The aid, mostly food and medicine, is estimated to have reached 4 million people.

The mandate of the aid mechanism was previously extended until July 10 by a decision on Jan. 10.