Cross-border humanitarian aid to northwest Syria has been extended for six months without a new vote at the UN Security Council. The 15-member body had previously issued an authorization for six months, allowing aid into rebel-held areas through the use of the Bab al-Hawa crossing at the Turkey-Syria border until January 10, 2022.
Bab al-Hawa is the last crossing with a UN mandate allowing aid to be delivered directly to Syrian areas in need without passing through the government channels in Damascus. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric on Monday described the cross-border delivery of aid as “essential.” “We need aid to be delivered through cross-border and through cross-line. Those are essential elements for us to meet the humanitarian needs of all Syrians,” he told a daily news briefing.
Read more here.
