Russia currently sees no solid grounds for preserving the mechanism of cross-border aid in Syria because of the numerous abuses surrounding its supplies, Russia's Permanent Representative to the world organization, Vasily Nebenzya, said at a UN Security Council meeting on Thursday.
"If we all had to make a decision on the extension of the cross-border mechanism as early as tomorrow, I'm afraid we would have no good reason to keep it. It is important for everyone interested in prolonging the work of the transboundary mechanism to understand that there is little time left and much to be done. We will not be able to get away with half measures here," he said.
According to the Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation, the cross-border mechanism in Syria leads to unequal distribution of humanitarian aid, which results in the fact that in the North-West of the country "there is one of the highest indicators of the starving population". Nebenzya pointed out that it was important to launch humanitarian supplies to Idlib from the government-controlled part of Syria, not only from abroad, noting that "it is in Idlib that the double bottom of the cross-border mechanism is clearly evident." He also pointed out that aid provided through the cross-border mechanism settles with terrorists, who then speculate on it.
On vaccines
"In this regard, we wonder how fairly vaccines will be distributed in the northwest, which the UN office in [Turkey's] Gaziantep has taken care of from GAVI (Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization) reserves," Nebenzya pointed out. According to him, the French and US representations to the UN suggested that the Russian Federation "put pressure on the Syrian authorities to carry out vaccination in Syria." "It is as if Damascus refuses to vaccinate. Again, there is no way around the topic of sanctions, which could seriously prevent Damascus from arranging the delivery of the vaccine to government-controlled territories and its subsequent storage," Nebenzya concluded.
In July, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution extending the mechanism of cross-border assistance to Syria since 2014. Initially, such supplies were carried out through four checkpoints - Bab al-Salam and Bab al-Hawa (on the border between Syria and Turkey), al-Yarubiya (on the border with Iraq) and al-Ramta (on the border with Jordan). Moscow and Damascus have insisted that this mechanism be phased out because more and more areas in Syria are returning to government control, so aid can be delivered from inside the country in coordination with Damascus, as prescribed by international humanitarian law.
In January 2020, when extending the mechanism, the Council left only two checkpoints on the border with Turkey in the resolution. In July, Russia and China vetoed a proposal to extend aid through two checkpoints, after which the Council passed a resolution to extend operations only through Bab al-Hawa for a year.
Polemic with the US
The Russian military in Syria is creating humanitarian corridors to help people in need, something that cannot be said about the US military occupying part of the country, Nebenzya said after a US diplomat accused Moscow and Damascus of blocking humanitarian access to the Rukban camp.
US Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Richard Mills said at a Security Council meeting on Syria that "for a year and a half, people in Rukban remain without medical supplies because the Assad regime and Russia are not allowing UN convoys to reach this informal refugee camp." "We call on the Assad regime and Russia to allow unhindered access for humanitarian supplies to Rukban, including UN convoys. This politicization of aid and its use as a weapon should outrage everyone," he added.
"Thanks to the Russian military, a corridor has been unblocked for the delivery of humanitarian aid to a whole number of areas in Hasakah. And what have the pro-humanitarian US occupying forces done to improve the humanitarian situation in Syria?" Nebenzya, who spoke next, pointed out.
Russia has repeatedly pointed out that the territory near the Rukban camp, which is under the control of the US military, is used as a bridgehead by terrorists and extremists.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS