Russia has introduced a draft resolution to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) that suggests the adoption of a single checkpoint for humanitarian aid to Syria. In the same vein, both China and Russia exercised their veto against a draft resolution sponsored by Germany and Belgium, which proposed the existence of two checkpoints in the country for the UN to carry out its cross-border humanitarian assistance.
The mechanism for cross-border aid was established by the UNSC in 2014 and has been renewed every year since. The current pact is set to expire on 10 July, forcing the body to debate about the future of its operations in the country. In January 2020, the body had extended the resolution for six months, reducing the number of checkpoints at the Turkish border from four to two. Further in March, the Human Rights Watch urged the UNSC to “reverse its January decision” and reinstate the movement of aid supplies from Iraq to the northeast of Syria in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
Vassily Nebenzia, Russia’s Ambassador to the UN, argued that the resolution was ‘outdated’ and was being used to ‘politicize’ the relief mechanism by allowing and favouring certain organizations over others. Nebenzia stated that Germany and Belgium had not considered Moscow’s stance on the issue, which is one that has consistently advocated for a timely reduction of checkpoints through which aid bypasses Damascus and enters the country.
In contrast to the vetoed resolution that provided for the extension of the mechanism for a year through two checkpoints, the draft introduced by Russia includes only a six-month extension, with the retention of only the Bab al-Hawa checkpoint at the Turkish border. Further, unlike the document introduced by Germany and Belgium which suggested a possibility of introducing more checkpoints in the future, the Russian position is one that staunchly believes in phasing out the mechanism and replacing it with “humanitarian supplies that will be implemented in accordance with the principles outlined in UN General Assembly Resolution 46/182”.
Several rights groups on the ground are concerned that Russian officials will veto the mandate altogether. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Monday highlighted in a written statement that the current cross-border mechanism permits UN agencies to reach aid to affected Syrians without permission from the Bashar al-Assad administration. The Office underlined that this was extremely crucial since the regime “consistently blocks aid from reaching opposition-held areas”. Currently, UN agencies operating in the war-torn country benefit 3 million displaced civilians in Syria and Turkey every month.
Nebenzia stressed that the situation in Syria has significantly changed, especially with regards to the territorial control, and that since the “territory beyond the control of the Syrian government has been significantly reduced”, the SC and the UN should continue to provide aid in coordination with the government in Damascus to respect its territorial integrity, national unity, and sovereignty.
Two weeks ago, Russia quit a UN arrangement that aimed at protecting humanitarian aid deliveries and hospitals in Syria from the ensuing violence in the country. The move came after a UN internal inquiry revealed the high probability that Assad’s forces or allies carried out deadly attacks at a school, a refuge centre for children, and three healthcare facilities last year.
Russia has had its military deployed in Syria since 2015 in support of the Assad government.
Image Source: The Times of Israel